The Enemy Lover
by Tickled Purple Monkey
Summary: Hermione and Draco are Prefects, but Draco starts acting weird around Hermione. First he catches her before she falls, and then he carries her up to bed. What next? Love obviously, but what then? To find out, Read!
1. End Of Summer

Chapter 1-End of Summer  
  
A/N Hey readers, this is my first story, so I want your comments, ideas and corrections, if you notice any spelling errors or wrong words. This is Hermione's fifth year at Hogwarts, and most of the story is written from her point of view (POV). All important Authors Notes will be here at the top of the chapters. Any other things like replies to your reviews will be at the bottom. Well anyway, here goes.  
  
Disclaimer: Only the plot in this story is mine.  
  
Hermione Granger stared out the window of her ordinary muggle house, but not paying any attention to what she was looking at. She was counting the days until she went back to Hogwarts, or at least to Wizard London where she would meet up with the Weaslys and Harry Potter at Diagon Ally to buy their school supplies. Just recently she had gotten the supplies list and that meant a whole other year with Ron and Harry at Hogwarts was starting within the week. Hermione was surprised that she hadn't received a prefects badge, but maybe the owl had gotten lost or hurt or sent out late, or she wasn't one at all (dun dun dun!). 'I wonder if the prefect is Ron or Harry' was her last thought before a sopping wet owl tumbled onto her windowsill (an odd happening, as it was not raining outside) and held out its leg(A/N I have a nickname, that is random, and the wet owl is just something random, it has no relevance to the story).  
  
Hermione took the small package, and feeling its weight, proceeded to open it, shrieking with delight. Running down the stairs to show her prefects badge to her parents she stumbled, but quickly regained her composure before walking into her living room where her parents were practically glued to the television. Turning off the television she said, "I have an announcement to make," then after briskly clearing her throat, "I am a prefect!" With that her mother jumped off the couch and the two of them jumped up and down, shrieking with joy.  
  
Once the pair of them had calmed down Hermione's father congratulated his daughter. Then her mother said, "I have to go call the family, they are going to be so proud!" and with a final squeal, kiss, and a bounce of bushy red hair was gone. Beaming radiantly Hermione practically waltzed back up to her room.  
  
Hermione was having trouble sleeping that night; she was too excited about becoming the Gryffindor prefect. After trying to count sheep several times, Hermione looked at the clock and saw it was 9:30. She didn't feel like reading and she couldn't focus, so she went downstairs into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Passing the living room she heard a conversation going on with her parents, but that was nothing unusual. As she was filling up her glass of water yelling broke out in the living room. Being ever so nosy Hermione crept to the door to eavesdrop on them, not that this was necessary; their yells were loud enough.  
  
"YOU CAN'T TELL HER, SHE WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND-" This was her father's voice.  
  
"YES, BUT THEN WHEN WE DO TELL HER SHE WILL NEVER FORGIVE US FOR NOT TELLING HER EARLIER, SHE MUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE A WIZARD AND WORKING UNDERCOVER FOR THE MINISTRY-" This was her mother, her ever trusting mother, who hated lying to people.  
  
"SHE CAN'T BECAUSE THEN SOMEONE MAY GET INSIDE HER MIND AND FIND OUT, NO ONE MUST KNOW ABOUT ME OR MY FAMILY, MY SISTERS, MY SISTER, DON'T YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER AND HER HUSBAND, AND NOW MY NEPHEW HAS TO LIVE WITH MUGGLES, MUGGLES FOR GOD'S SAKE-" Her father was yelling even louder now.  
  
"FINE THEN, I AM AT LEAST GOING TO TELL HER THAT I AM A-"  
  
"YOU MUSTN'T TELL HER ANYTHING, I LOVE HER AND I DON'T WANT HER TO GET HURT, PLEASE," Now her father was pleading; Hermione could hear it in his voice.  
  
"Fine," her mother gave in, "But I will be giving her some of my dust for her birthday."  
  
"Agreed, but you will have to tell her that you bought it somewhere."  
  
"It's a deal," Hermione's mother said.  
  
Hermione began to creep back upstairs to her room, not making a sound. But her father saw her movement. "Obliviate!" He yelled, but Hermione was too quick, she ducked and raced up to her room and grabbed her wand. Quickly she placed several locking spells on her door, some even from the sixth year curriculum. She put a magical fire on her floor and grabbed the floo powder from her trunk and threw it on it. She pushed her trunk on top of the fire, and sitting on top of it said, "The Burrow!" The next thing she knew she was in the Burrow.  
  
Hermione pulled her trunk out of the kitchen fire and walked into the Burrow. She glanced around, but didn't see anyone so she walked over to the clock. Fred and George were up to no good, according to the clock and Ron and Ginny were practicing quidditch and Mr. Weasly was working late, and Mrs. Weasly was sleeping. 'Well, at least I know where everyone is," thought Hermione as she went to go find Ron and Ginny. True to the clock's word (or rather tock heehee) Ginny and Ron were out practicing quidditch in their small quidditch pitch.  
  
"Hey you guys, come down here, please, I need to talk to you," Hermione yelled at them. They came down and Ron and Ginny both gave her hugs.  
  
"Why are you here Hermione, not to be rude, but we weren't expecting you," Ron said to Hermione.  
  
"Well, actually I don't want to talk about it, but I need to stay with you guys until school starts, and your father can't know that I am here, okay?" Hermione said. Ron's dad worked at the ministry and she was not going to take any chances of her father finding her.  
  
"Okay, sure, why not?" Ron said, and then he saw tears in her eyes and was about to ask what he had done wrong when she spoke.  
  
"Oh, thank you guys you two are the greatest, now, let's go hide my things," Hermione said.  
  
Hermione slept with Ginny in her room that night. They had devised a plan that Hermione would stay in Ginny's room until Mr. Weasly was at work, and then she would come down and live through the day until Mr. Weasly came home, and she would be in Ginny's room. Ginny would come up promptly after dinner and give Hermione some food. Mrs. Weasly would know about Hermione, but she would be asked not to tell her husband until Hermione was gone. First Ginny asked her hypothetically if she would keep a secret from her husband if she was asked to, and upon her saying yes, was told the situation, she agreed hesitantly, but they were given her full word.  
  
Hermione's stay with the Weaslys was uneventful. 


	2. On The Train

Chapter 2-On the Train  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Hermione leaned casually against the barrier and fell through onto platform 9 ¾. She pushed and pulled her way through the crowd and finally reached the train. She yanked her trunk onto the train and began to look for an empty compartment. She found one and settled to wait for Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She didn't have long to wait before the compartment door slid open. But it wasn't Harry, Ron or Ginny standing in the doorway, it was Draco Malfoy, her and her friends arch nemesis (oooh I love that word!). "What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione said, thinking, 'can't he wait until we are at school before he starts to ruin my life?'  
  
"Oh nothing really mudblood, just for you to give me your unconditional love," Malfoy replied, looking dead serious, but obviously he wasn't.  
  
Hermione snorted, "Fat chance you'll ever get that from me. But you may get it from Parkinson, oh, wait, the only thing you'll get from her is.hmmmmm, let me think.your bankruptcy. Now if you'll kindly leave me alone I have some thinking to do, oh wait, if you need help out the door I'll understand, I know your brain isn't large enough for you to do things like that yourself," Hermione said. She really did want to think of her parents, and she did want Malfoy out of the compartment, but she instantly regretted saying that last part.  
  
"What did you say to me?" Malfoy's face was going red and blotchy.  
  
Hermione had no time to worry about what he would do to her, she was angry that he didn't leave and angrier still when he stepped inside the compartment. "You heard me, I said that your brain was so small that you'd need help going out the door, but that's okay, a small brain is just one of the many symptoms of stupidity, along with not doing what you are told and- " Hermione was happy to see the look on his face, but was cut off abruptly when he picked her up and pinned her to the wall 'boy is he strong,' she thought.  
  
Just then Harry and Ron entered the compartment and saw Hermione pinned to the wall by Malfoy. "Drop her, Malfoy," Harry said fiercely.  
  
"Gladly, because now I have to wash these robes," He said, dropping Hermione to the floor. On his way out he turned suddenly and said, "Oh, yeah, you were supposed to go to compartment one a few minutes ago," and with that he walked away.  
  
"Dang it," Hermione yelled, as she ran out of the compartment.  
  
"What was all that about?" Ron asked Harry once she had left. Harry just shrugged.  
  
Hermione skidded into the compartment only half a minute after she had left her compartment. Breathlessly she said, "You (gasp) wanted (gasp) to see me?"  
  
Professor McGonagall seemed rather amused at Hermione's behavior; she had skidded into the compartment, almost falling over, and all out of breath, this was very un-Hermione-like. This had probably resulted because she had sent Malfoy to get her. "Well yes, I did, as a prefect, you are to be patrolling the halls of the train to make sure no magic is being done, understood?" Hermione nodded, still panting. "Good, you are dismissed."  
  
So for the rest of the train ride Hermione patrolled the corridors on the train.  
  
At Hogwarts all the students (except first years) piled into the horseless carriages that took them up to the castle, and then they all went into the Great Hall. After the sorting Dumbledore said, "I have an announcement, this years prefects are.Hermione Granger, from Gryffindor, Terry Boot, from Ravenclaw, Susan Bones, from Hufflepuff, and Draco Malfoy from Slytherin. This years Head Boy is Roger Davies from Ravenclaw and this years Head Girl is Katie Bell, from Gryffindor. Would the prefects and Heads come and meet me up here please? Let the feast begin!"  
  
"I'll see you guys later okay?" Hermione said to Harry and Ron. They nodded as she walked over to talk to Dumbledore.  
  
"Ah, yes my prefects, we are doing something a little different this year, to see if it works out. You four will be the only prefects this year; there won't be any sixth year prefects. Some of your jobs this year include organizing the social events and planning Hogsmeade weekends. You all have your own table at the end of the hall, right there," He pointed and a table came up, laden with food, "And, last, but not least, you will have your own common room, as will the heads. Meet me in the Entrance Hall after you have led your houses to their house. That is all, you may go eat at your table now."  
  
Hermione was annoyed with Dumbledore, first he makes Malfoy a prefect also, but now she had to sit and eat with him! It was just too much. Now she had a headache. Quickly she took out her wand and said a spell to make the headache go away. She sat down between Susan and Hannah and began to eat.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco was thinking back to the train incident with the mudblood. 'Why did I let her get to me like that? I rarely lose my temper, but then again, she said I was stupid, I am not stupid.' He looked up at Granger, her words were quite a bit harsher than last year, and he had only been teasing when he had said he wanted her unconditional love. But then it had seemed that she had had a lot on her mind, and maybe something bad had happened to her and she had needed to cool off, she had shown no fear when he had pinned her to the wall, only anger was in her eyes. Maybe he should have just given her the message and left. Oh well, what's done is done.  
  
He sighed a little and went back to eating.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Dinner was over quickly and she led the Gryffindors to their common room, initiating the password (Dragon Heartstring) and left to go meet Dumbledore in the Entrance Hall. She was the last one there and Dumbledore said, "Ah, yes the last one, well, follow me." He led them up to the fourth floor and showed the Heads where their portrait was (it was a portrait of a little girl probably only seven who was playing with a sheep dog in a grassy field) and left them to choose their password. The four prefects followed Dumbledore up three more floors to the seventh and made their way southward to a portrait of a unicorn with a woman who looked a little like Hermione on it. They chose their password (Unicorn Blood) and walked inside. Hermione gasped at what she saw. 


	3. Goodnight, Hermione

Chapter 3-Goodnight, Hermione  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Hermione walked into the middle of the common room, there were four couches and two loveseats, the couches were red, yellow, blue, and green . Each couch also had a blanket on it, of the same color as the couch., and the walls were painted in alternating gold and silver colors and had alternating silver and gold trimming (gold wall has silver trimming, silver wall gold trimming), and the loveseats were cream colored. There were nine doors and a set of double doors in the room. Four of them said in turn the houses, obviously shortcuts to the common rooms, another four had their names on them, one was blank, obviously the bathroom. Hermione suspected she know what was behind the double doors, but there was only one way to find out. Hermione walked over to them and swung them both open at the same time and her breath caught.  
  
Inside was a library; it was almost as big as the school library. Hermione excitedly looked around the shelves, and then heard a chuckle behind her. "I thought you might like this," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling.  
  
"Oh, I do, it's absolutely wonderful Professor Dumbledore, absolutely wonderful," She said in awe, turning around and looking like she might hug him.  
  
"I'll leave you to the books now, I have business to attend to," All Hermione could do was nod at him as he turned away. Then she randomly picked a book of a shelf and went into the common room with it. She settled down on the red couch and began to read.  
  
When she was halfway through the book she stopped and marked her place. Suddenly she remembered that she hadn't seen her room yet. She jumped off the couch and raced to her room. Unfortunately she was about to pass the bathroom when Malfoy stepped out of it, only wearing a towel around his waist. She had no time to stop and so crashed into Malfoy.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
I had just gotten out of the shower and stepped out of the bathroom when I saw Granger running. As soon as she saw me she tried to slow down, but couldn't. She crashed right into me and started to fall to the ground. She is lucky that I play quidditch, or my reflexes may not have been so good, otherwise she may have actually hit the ground. Another good thing is that she isn't very heavy, so, I just picked her up, careful of my towel and stood her on her feet, then went upstairs to get dressed. When I got back downstairs she was nowhere in sight, so I just shrugged off my worry that she wasn't okay and went into the library to get myself a book. I then sat down on the green couch and began to read.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
That was disturbing, he actually helped me, oh well, I guess I should thank him for it. Hermione thought as she changed into her PJ's. She looked wistfully out her balcony, it would be nice to just sit out there, but she had things to do right now. She walked back downstairs. Draco-no, Malfoy was sitting on his green couch reading a book. She walked over to him and said, "Thank you for catching me, I'd probably have a concussion if I had fallen."  
  
Draco looked up at her and she was caught in those gray eyes. Then he looked her up and down. She was wearing a spaghetti-strap tank top with little clouds and rainbows all over it, but it barely came to her navel, along with some little shorts that matched, the outfit was finished off with an ordinary pair of green socks. She felt herself blush a little, but then he came back to her eyes and said, "It was just a reflex, but you're welcome, Granger."  
  
Hermione walked back to her couch and began to read again, but realized that she was very unfocused when she read the same line five times without understanding it. She sighed and put the book down, marking her place. Then she lay down on the couch to just think, and finally drifted off to sleep.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco read there on his couch until he was tired, and then got up to go to his room. He saw Granger sleeping on her couch and she looked really peaceful, and he didn't want to wake her. He couldn't just leave her lying there either, she may get cold. So he picked her up and she unconsciously snuggled up to him. He smiled at her sleeping form and then frowned, why would he smile at her as she was snuggling up to him, but he continued carrying her up to her room. He lay her on the bed and pulled back as many of the blankets and sheets as he could. He picked her back up and awkwardly pushed back the rest of the blankets. Then he laid her in her bed and pulled up her blankets around her. He was tempted to kiss her forehead, but decided against it, that would make him confuse himself.  
  
"Goodnight, Hermione," Malfoy said as he walked out of her room.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione was a light sleeper and was awakened by someone picking her up off her couch. This person had picked her up gently, so as not to wake her, but obviously didn't know that she slept lightly. This person was strong and she felt safe, so she snuggled closer to him, pretending to still be sleeping. He carried her up to her room and laid her down on her bed and somehow got her into it. He had pulled the blankets up to her chin and stood there for a long time. Then as he was leaving she heard a quiet "Goodnight, Hermione," that could only have been from Malfoy-no, Draco.  
  
She lay awake in bed pondering this for a time, but then, without any explanation as to why he did what he did she fell asleep again. Her dreams were filled with Draco and his spicy scent and his strong arms and deep gray eyes.  
  
She woke up early the next morning and lay in her bed, thinking about her parents, 'and now about Draco-no, it's Malfoy, and he is your enemy,' she told herself, but was he? He had stopped her from getting a concussion and taken her up to bed all in one day, why the sudden acts of kindness, especially after the way he had treated her on the train. I don't think I'll ever figure out how a guy's mind works, but they are probably thinking the same about us girls. At that she giggled aloud. There was a problem though, she couldn't think straight, his voice was ringing in her ears, 'Goodnight, Hermione,' repeatedly. 


	4. Revelations

Chapter 4-Revelations  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Hermione ate breakfast slowly, watching Harry and Ron. They would probably eat for another half hour, but that was okay, as long as she was here, at Hogwarts with them she was fine. She was done at least fifteen minutes before they were. She sat alone at the prefect table, waiting for her best friends to finish eating. Finally they were done and as they got up she got up too, and walked with them out the door. They wandered around the Hogwarts grounds, just talking, until Ron asked, "So, Hermione, why did you turn up at my house late this summer?" Harry's eyebrows were raised, he hadn't heard about this.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Hermione finally said, not meeting their eyes.  
  
"Why not Hermione? Hang on, you need a nickname, Hermione is getting too long. 'Mione, yeah, that's it, 'Mione, it's perfect. So why would you rather not talk about it Mione?" Ron said.  
  
"Because I-I just don't, besides, my father tried to erase my memory afterwards anyway," Hermione muttered the last part, but her friends heard it.  
  
"HE WHAT?" Ron roared, making all the students by the lake jump.  
  
"It doesn't matter, can we just drop the subject?" Hermione pleaded.  
  
"Wait a minute, how did he try to erase your memory?" Harry asked, suddenly suspicious.  
  
Hermione looked uncomfortable and then switched the subject, "Look at that butterfly over there, isn't it beautiful?"  
  
Harry walked straight in front of Hermione and grabbed her arms, but gently, and kept her straight in front of him. "'Mione, is your father a wizard?"  
  
Then Hermione just broke down and started babbling. "Yes, yes and he never told me, I heard my parents arguing in my living room when I went downstairs to get a glass of water, (breath) and I eavesdropped on them and my mom was saying that he should tell me that he was a wizard and that he was working undercover for the ministry and he said something about a sister of his being killed by Voldemort (gasp) and he wanted to protect us from getting killed by him too and something about his nephew going to live with muggles and my mom, (gasp) and my mom started to say that she was something else too, but he interrupted her and she said something about giving me some of her dust for my birthday, and I don't know what she meant, but they (gasp) agreed that they wouldn't tell me what they were, and then I started going up to my room, but my father saw me and tried to erase my memory of that, but I ducked and it blew up a vase (gasp) and I flooed to your house Ron, because I knew that Harry's aunt and uncle would be mad if I went there, and that's why I was there and you couldn't tell your dad about me." Sometime during that long sentence she had fallen into Harry's arms for lack of a better support, and now she just sat there, crying.  
  
"Malfoy's wrong," Ron suddenly said gleefully.  
  
"Yeah, Hermione, he's right, now Draco can't call you mudblood any more," Harry agreed.  
  
"Thanks you guys," She said, wiping tears from her eyes, "You are the best friends anyone can have. Oh, and you can't tell anyone about my father working for the ministry." Harry and Ron nodded. "Let's go see Hagrid now."  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco was sitting out on the lake alone and he watched the Dream Team walk around, chatting animatedly. Then suddenly they stopped and Scarhead held Hermione's arms and suddenly she started to cry, falling into Scarhead's arms. 'If he lays a finger on my Her-wait, where did that come from, my Hermione, she is not mine, she doesn't even like me, I however have liked her since the third year, cowardly me, never telling her, only being mean to her.' He watched Hermione pick herself up and hug Weasel, and then Scarhead. They began to talk again as they made their way to the Oaf's hut.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione lay in her bed, thinking she opened her eyes and replayed the scene in her head. Oddly, her mind seemed to be projecting the scene onto the ceiling. She thought of when Draco had brought her into her room, even though she hadn't seen it with her eyes it showed her the whole scene. Then she thought of Draco, an enlarged picture of him smiling appeared. She wiped her thoughts clear and her ceiling blank.  
  
A whole week and a half of school was over already. It was Thursday. She was eating peacefully and thinking about what her mom had said the night she had left. 'Fine, but I will be giving her some of my dust for her birthday.' What did she mean some of her dust, certainly not dust from the mantelpiece, but what then? "Oh, oh my God, Why didn't I.it's so obvious I.why.oh my God I'll have to.bye guys." And with that she ran out of the Great Hall, leaving the other prefects and the Heads staring at her back and muttering "What was all that about?"  
  
Hermione ran up to her room and requested that her ceiling show her mother in her true form. There on her ceiling was.a fairy. So, Hermione you are half-fairy, what have you to say for yourself? "Wow." Hmmm, maybe I can find out who my aunt is too. She requested her aunt and her ceiling came up with two. One was a thin blonde woman with a long neck, blonde hair, and blue eyes. The other had auburn hair, was thin and had brilliant green eyes that reminded her of someone.  
  
She asked for the auburn-haired woman's son. There was her cousin, and he was someone that she knew.  
  
She walked slowly down her seven steps and saw Draco lying on his couch, asleep. Hermione looked at her watch, only nine minutes to get to care of magical creatures, but she decided it was worth it. She owed him. Walking over to the green couch she said, gently, "Malfoy, Malfoy," maybe she just wasn't loud enough. She tried again, a bit louder, "Draco, Draco," his eyes were moving, but he was just dreaming. Timidly, she reached out to touch his shoulder, saying, "Draco?" Suddenly he lunged at her, grabbing her arms in a death grip. She yelped and he seemed to wake up a little, letting her go. "Draco, wake up, you're just dreaming," she said, backing towards the door. Finally he seemed to wake up for real. He looked at her, saw the scared look in her eyes, and turned away. She looked at her watch. "We have seven minutes to get to care of magical creatures," and then she was gone. He ran upstairs and grabbed a robe and followed her out.  
  
All day she wondered what he had been dreaming of that had made him react like he did. 


	5. Why Did You Do It?

Chapter 5-Why did you do it?  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Draco caught up with Hermione on the sixth floor. "Why did you do it?" he asked.  
  
"Do what?" Hermione replied.  
  
"Wake me up," Draco said. Both of them were gasping for breath now.  
  
"Why did you catch me when I crashed into you, why don't you call me mudblood any more, what were you dreaming about when I woke you up and why did you carry me up to bed that first night?" There were only four more flights of stairs to go.  
  
"You knew about?" He asked startled.  
  
"Light sleeper," she said simply.  
  
"Hey, then you snuggled up to me on purpose!"  
  
"Maybe," She said, grinning mischievously.  
  
They ran down the last flight of stairs and sprinted out the door.  
  
The whole class stared at Hermione and Draco as they came running over the lawn. Hermione collapsed at Harry's feet, gasping for breath, and quickly checked her watch. They had made it in time, but just barely. Once she had regained the power to breathe normally she stood up and gave Harry a big hug. "Hello, cousin," Harry looked at her like she was burping slugs. "Look, it all makes sense, my father said my sisters, my sister, so I took it to mean he only had one sister. He said his nephew had gone to live with muggles, and also that his sister was killed by Voldemort, that was my aunt, your mother."  
  
Harry nodded, he didn't know what to think. Hermione seemed to read his thoughts though. "I'll let this sink in, and I can, well, I think I can, prove it."  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco was in the mansion, his father was beating him again. Suddenly he heard a voice, it was calling him, "Malfoy, Malfoy," He lost count of the 50 curses his father was punishing him with. Now he would have to start over, and his father would do another round of fifty until he counted right. He heard the voice again, "Draco, Draco," it said, and then he felt something on his shoulder and the voice said, one last time, "Draco?" He whipped around and grabbed the image of his father by the arms, in a death grip. Then he heard a yelp, his father wouldn't yelp. This wasn't his father. He let go and heard the voice again . "Draco, wake up, you're just dreaming," it said. Finally he woke up. Half way across the room was Hermione. He looked at her, saw the scared look in her eyes, and turned away. She then said "We have seven minutes to get to care of magical creatures," and then she was gone. He ran up to his room and grabbed a robe, then raced to catch up with Hermione, she was on the sixth floor.  
  
While running with her he asked, "Why did you do it?" After all the hurt he had done to her and her friends, he would have expected her to leave him, to humiliate him.  
  
"Do what?" She was panting now, as was he.  
  
"Wake me up," why didn't she know what he was talking about.  
  
"Why did you catch me when I crashed into you, why don't you call me mudblood any more, what were you dreaming about when I woke you up and why did you carry me up to bed that first night?" She said simply.  
  
"You knew about?" He asked in disbelief, he had thought she was sleeping.  
  
"Light sleeper," she said simply.  
  
"Hey, then you snuggled up to me on purpose!"  
  
"Maybe," She said, grinning mischievously.  
  
They sprinted down the last flight of stairs and onto the lawn. The whole class stared at them as they sprinted up.  
  
Draco watched as Hermione collapsed next to Potty and looked at her watch. She seemed happy, so he guessed they weren't late. Then she got up and hugged Scarhead, saying something he couldn't hear to him. Just then Pansy walked up, and encircling him with her arms, "Drakey-Poo, what were you doing with the mudblood, she probably got her icky germs on you," Draco pushed Pansy away.  
  
"Get the heck off me," Draco muttered, pushing her away.  
  
"But, Drakey-Poo, don't you love me?" Pansy said, looking close to tears.  
  
"No, you told yourself that lie," Draco said.  
  
"Fine then," she said huffily, and walked away.  
  
Draco was happy that he had gotten rid of her, but he knew she would be back, pretending like he had wanted to apologize for his actions. Then he started thinking, if she purposefully snuggled up close, that would mean she likes - no! She doesn't like me. I've been ruining her life for four years. How could she possibly like me? Wait a minute here, I was thinking about liking someone, not loving them. Love is weird, you don't choose who you fall in love with, you just do. Well, so, you know you do love her even if you are not ready to admit it.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
"Uh, Draco? Uh, are you feeling okay?" Hermione was looking up at Draco anxiously, his eyes looked glazed over. He was probably just thinking, but you never know.  
  
"Yes, Granger?" She had expected this type of addressing and just kept on talking.  
  
"Since we were almost late, everyone was already paired up, so we have to work together."  
  
"Right, what are we doing?" Draco said, not realizing that he was staring.  
  
"You weren't listening, were you?" He shook his head. "We have to go and observe one of the magical creatures around Hogwarts, sketch it and write down what it eats and everything. Oh, and one more thing, would you quit staring at me?" His staring had quite unnerved her, then suddenly, as though just noticed he was staring he blushed slightly and turned away. "C'mon, let's go find something," she said, and began walking off. After a few seconds she turned around to see Draco standing where he was, staring again. She marched back to him and grabbed his wrist. He snapped into the living world at her touch. "Geez, come on, I was starting to think that what I said to you on the train was true."  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled to her as she led him away, but making no move to make her let go. 


	6. He Admits It

Chapter 6-He Admits It  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot, the beautiful Draco belongs to JK Rowling  
  
It was Friday night. Hermione had called a meeting in their common room for the Heads and Prefects. "Susan, Terry, Draco, I think we should start organizing the Hogsmeade weekends and then the Winter and Summer Balls and Parties around those," All three nodded, so Hermione went on, "And I think that the Heads should organize the menus for these events as well as the entertainment. Then we will all agree on the themes together," Hermione finished.  
  
Katie stood up from a loveseat and said, "I agree, does anyone have any objections?" No one moved or objected. "Okay then, we will wait for the dates from you four and then we will all meet up and choose the theme. After that you guys will organize decorations, and announce the themes to every one and we will take care of the entertainment and menus. Well, if that is all, good night." Katie and Roger exited the room.  
  
Susan and Terry both stayed up a while longer and then Susan announced that she was going up to bed and Terry agreed. They each went into their respective bedrooms. Hermione went and changed into her PJ's (now with socks with little pigs with wings all over A/N the socks are of no importance) and then went and brushed her teeth. Then she settled back down onto her red couch and continued to read, but she felt someone's eyes on her. She struggled to ignore those eyes, but failed. She glanced over at Draco who was staring at her once again. Honestly, couldn't he stop watching her. "You're staring at me again, quit it, you make me nervous" Hermione said suddenly.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
I snapped out of my reverie, surprised that I had been staring again. We told you that you were in love. But I am not in love, I just like her - no, you know it goes deeper than that, and you are still not admitting it. Shut up! I am not in love with her. Quit trying to hide it, this is the second time in two days that you have been caught staring at her, it's obviously love. No it's not -  
  
"Draco? Are you feeling okay? You keep getting these glazed looks in your eyes," She was kneeling by the couch on which he was laying, looking anxious.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just, I can't tell you why, just trust me that I am okay," She still hadn't moved. See, she cares about you, you should just tell her how you feel, but I can't, many a girl have been frightened by being told someone's true feelings, but, but you're right, "I do love her." Dang it, he had said that out loud, how could I have said that! Heehee hahaha, you fell for it, you didn't even realize I made you say that out loud.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
"I do love her," Draco said, and then he looked at Hermione, horrified that he had said that aloud.  
  
"Who were you talking about?" Hermione asked slyly, even though she had a pretty good idea who he was talking about, all the signs were there, and they all pointed to her. This frightened her, but, she liked him too, all her signs were there, putting his image on her ceiling, snuggling up to him, everything.  
  
"No one that I want to talk to you about," This was her confirmation, he had barely muttered it. Plus, he hadn't met her eyes when he had said it. He loved her.  
  
"Okay then," She had a plan to get him to come around.  
  
She pretended to fall asleep reading in the common room again.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Hermione had fallen asleep on the couch again. This time though he was going to wake her up and send her upstairs.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
As soon as Hermione felt his breath upon her she opened her eyes. Draco tried to move away but she was too quick as he hadn't expected her to be awake. Quickly she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss. Draco submitted instantly, returning the kiss and then deepening it.  
  
Susan came down to use the restroom, but then realized what she was seeing and decided that she could wait. Neither Draco nor Hermione noticed her.  
  
Hermione pushed him away, gently. Both of them were breathing raggedly. "It was me wasn't it?" At his confused look she added, "Who you said you loved."  
  
"Yes," he said sheepishly, "But I didn't want to tell you, because..."  
  
She just leaned over and kissed him again. "Because you were afraid that I would leave you," she finished for him, "Draco, I would never leave you just because you loved me," she said, looking into his deep gray eyes and getting lost in them.  
  
"Hem hem, is it safe for me to come down without having to see you two snogging each other?" Came Susan's voice from her stairs.  
  
Hermione snorted, "What do you think, Susan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Bingo."  
  
Hermione got an impish look in her eye and grabbed Draco by the robes and started kissing him again as Susan came down.  
  
"I honestly do not need nor want to see that Hermione," Susan scolded.  
  
"Oh, I am truly sorry, but you never said when you would be coming down," Hermione answered with wide-eyed innocence. Then she yawned.  
  
"Come on 'Mione, it's bedtime for you," Draco said, picking up Hermione damsel-in-distress style and carried her upstairs. Hermione stood up and let him pull her bedding back. Even though it was scarcely a foot to her bed he picked her up again and laid her in it. Then he pulled up the covers to her chin and leaned over and kissed her forehead.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
It was like déjà vu, he carried her to her room and tucked her in bed, and wanted to kiss her forehead, but this time he did, and she pulled him onto her bed and gave him a real kiss and then said, "Goodnight Draco."  
  
"Goodnight, my 'Mione."  
  
A/N Are you liking Draco? Follow this link, there is a really cute picture here. 


	7. Dead

Chapter 7-Dead  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Hermione went to bed in bliss. She was glad that she had dumped Viktor over the summer, he never spent any time with her. Besides, she had never felt fulfilled with Viktor like she did with Draco. She smiled as she slept.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
The Voices in his head had been right, as they always were. He did love her, and she hadn't walked off once he had admitted it. Ha ha, I knew she would do something like that, but I didn't tell you because you had to figure it out for yourself, otherwise you would have kept your views about her just leaving you when she found out. Anyway, go to sleep, you have a big day tomorrow, I can feel it.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Sunlight streamed into her bedroom. Hermione woke up, was last night a dream? No, it couldn't have been. She asked her ceiling to replay the events of last night. Good, it was real. She hopped out of bed and sprinted out her door and into the common room. Then she slowed down and walked into Draco's room. He wasn't awake yet, good. She climbed onto his bed slowly, careful that he didn't wake. Then she stood up, still being careful of her movements. Suddenly, she started jumping.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
He quickly sat up in bed, only to see Hermione jumping on the foot of his bed. He settled back down. "Get dressed, let's go eat, I'm hungry!" Hermione yelled.  
  
"Calm down, calm down 'Mione. You have to get dressed too."  
  
"Says who?" She said, sticking out her tongue. He walked over in his green (of course) boxers and grabbed her and flung her onto his bed. They kissed, then she pouted and said, "Fine," and exited the room.  
  
They met in the common room and went out to the Great Hall together. They ate a late lunch (A/N it's about 3 PM) and then walked back to the common room, where an owl was waiting for Hermione. She frowned at the letter as she read it.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
As Hermione read the letter Draco saw her frown, then her eyes fill with tears as she dropped the letter and raced out of the room. Quickly he bent and picked up the paper. This is what he read:  
  
Dear Miss Granger,  
I have found out your true identity. I have killed your father, but  
your mother got away. But even fairies cannot hide for long, soon she  
will be dead too.  
Sincerely,  
Lord Voldemort  
  
He put the letter in his pocket and raced after her.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
She couldn't think, she just ran. She was soon out of breath, but she didn't care, she had to get away. She heard footsteps after her, but didn't notice. She raced down several flights of stairs, not even knowing when she tripped. Her knees were scraped and bleeding, but she didn't realize it. It wasn't true, it wasn't, her dad couldn't be dead, he couldn't, and she hadn't even said a proper goodbye. She didn't notice the tears streaming down her face, or when she fell the last time onto the floor.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Finally she stopped, well actually, she fell. She just sat there, crying on the floor, oblivious to her numerous cuts and scrapes when she had fallen. Gently, Draco put his arms around her as she cried, she leaned back on him and then turned and buried her face in his chest. She sobbed until she had no more tears and then just sat there hiccupping.  
  
"Come on, we have to get you to Professor Dumbledore," She didn't move, so he got her onto her feet and gave her his arm, which she took gladly. They passed a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in the corridors who stopped and stared. Hermione tripped for the umpteenth time. Draco gathered her in his arms and began to carry her (Damsel-in-distress style of course) to Dumbledore.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
After Draco had been carrying her for a moment Hermione settled down. But their serenity wouldn't last long for they ran into two Gryffindors along the way.  
  
"What do you think you're doing with her Malfoy?" Ron yelled, catching sight of the couple.  
  
"Taking her to Dumbledore, now if you will excuse us," Draco said, trying to stay calm.  
  
But Potty and the Weasel just stood in his way. Hermione looked up at him. "Do you have to letter?" Her voice was barely a whisper.  
  
"Yes, I do," Draco told her.  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"In the pocket of my pants," He replied.  
  
Harry and Ron stared as Hermione reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. Then she said the duplicating charm and tossed the copy to them, placing the original back in Draco's pocket.  
  
"Now, if you will excuse us, we are going to meet Dumbledore," Draco said, sneering at them as they stood, rooted to their spots.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
After the Harry and Ron incident, Draco took Hermione to Dumbledore without event. At Dumbledore's gargoyle Draco said the password (fizzing whizbees) and carried her up the stairs. At the Headmaster's office Hermione knocked, and at the "Come in," opened the door. Draco carried her inside and sat on a chair with her in his lap. Dumbledore looked at the two, a small smile playing at his lips, it appeared that he had expected their friendship.  
  
"Was there something you wish to talk to me about?"  
  
"Well yes, actually," and then looking down at Hermione, "Would you like to tell him, or do you want me to?"  
  
"Let me just give him the letter, that should explain most of it," murmured Hermione into Draco's chest.  
  
Draco pulled out the letter and handed it to Hermione, who handed it to Dumbledore.  
  
"I see, you already knew your mother was a fairy, right?" At her nod, he continued. "You also knew that your father was not an only child and that his nephew was Harry Potter?" Hermione nodded again. "You knew that your father was a wizard working undercover for the Ministry, did you not?" Once again, Hermione nodded. "And you realize that Voldemort wants all of Harry Potter's relatives dead, and this puts you in great danger?" She nodded for the last time and began to cry again. "Mr. Malfoy, I expect you to take good care of her," it was Draco's turn to nod. "You may leave."  
  
Dumbledore turned to Fawkes after they had left. "I do wonder how she found out about her father, but we should not dwell on it. Oh, and I told you I could make them realize their love for each other by making them close." He heaved a sigh and then said, "At least her mother is still alive to tell her about her heritage, I don't think that I am the one to do that."  
  
Draco carried Hermione up to their common room. She was asleep in his arms and so he took her up to her room. He once again tucked her in bed, but as he was leaving he heard a soft, "Please don't leave me" come from the bed.  
  
He murmured okay and wondered why any one would want to cause this beautiful young woman any pain as he lay down next to her, but on top of her blankets, and held her close, (awwwwww) murmuring into her ear, "'Mione, I would never leave you," but she was already asleep.  
  
A/N  
  
Fantasyangel: yes, you are right about the floo networking, but I wasn't thinking of that as I was writing. And Hermione doesn't like that her parents have been lying to her this whole time and she doesn't want her memory modified because she wants to know everything (of course), and if her memory is modified then she will forget about her parents not being muggles and she will think that she is a mudblood. Did any of that make sense? 


	8. Tragedy

Chapter 8-Tragedy  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot, and maybe even that isn't all mine  
  
Hermione woke up the next morning with Draco's arms around her. She snuggled up closer to him and kissed his cheek. Then she went down into the common room and grabbed her book. Then she remembered the events of yesterday. Voldemort had killed her father. She silently swore revenge on him. She brought her book back upstairs with her and lay down next to Draco. She read for a few minutes, until Draco woke up.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco awoke to Hermione looking down on him. "Nice sleep?" She asked him.  
  
He nodded, "Yes, but a little cold," he admitted.  
  
"Then next time you will sleep under the blankets," and at the shocked look on his face she added, "I know you wouldn't do anything to me unless I wanted you to."  
  
He nodded, she was absolutely right, after two years of wanting her, and finally getting her, he wouldn't do anything to her unless she allowed him to. And maybe not even then.  
  
That night they slept together, as they had done the last night, and would do in all the nights to come (A/N no, they do not do anything, just sleep).  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Her sworn revenge helped her get through her father's death, and the next few months passed uneventfully. Finally it was the winter ball. The prefects were to go together, as were the Heads. Draco had asked Hermione to go with him (of course) and she had said yes (of course). The theme was medieval, with knights and damsels-in-distress and all. Draco was going as Hermione's knight-in-shining-armor (literally) and Hermione was going as a fairy. She would force her wings out of her back (A/N as a half-fairy Hermione has to force her wings out of her back, they are not just there automatically, that is only true with full fairies) and wear a green gown that had a v-shaped waistline and went just below her ankles. In some lights the gown looked red, but in most, green. She had only brought out her wings once, and they were a reddish with a green tinge, it was for this reason that she had chosen to wear a green and red dress. She had not told Draco what she would be going as, she wanted to surprise him. For this reason she had gone shopping with Ginny.  
  
The prefects were currently in the Great Hall setting up the decorations while the Heads were outside, decorating the garden. They were making all the plants of un-meltable ice, which was quite a job for only two people. The great hall looked very.wintery. The tables all had un-meltable snow in between the dishes and everything looked iced over. The Christmas trees that Hagrid had brought in were decorated with an assortment of decorations, not unlike every other year. (A/N I don't know what to put in here that would look medieval, so I just made it wintery looking.)  
  
After that Hermione went into her room and grabbed her dress, then went onto the Gryffindor common room to wait for Ginny. She didn't have long to wait. "Oh, Hermione, you're wearing that, it's perfect, come on," and with that Ginny led Hermione into her dormitory.  
  
"How do you do this, wings first or second?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, I think second, so we'll try it that way, and if it doesn't work, then we'll try them first," Hermione answered, then got changed. "If you could hold my dress flat on my back, that would be great."  
  
Ginny nodded, and then gulped as Hermione placed a silencing spell on the door. Hermione lay on her stomach on one of the beds. She forced the wings out of her back and screamed, then , as suddenly as the pain was there, it was gone. Hermione looked at Ginny, who was staring at her in awe.  
  
Ginny said, "Wow, they're beautiful."  
  
"Yes, and it's painful," Hermione said, "But it is most definitely worth it. Now all we have to do is hair and make-up."  
  
Ginny got dressed too and they started on their hair and make-up.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
He had half a mind to go and wait for Hermione in the Gryffindor common room, she was taking so long. Finally he succumbed to himself and went to the portrait of the fat lady. He said the password, fairy dust (What a coincidence) and walked into the Gryffindor common room. He saw Potty- no, bad Draco, Harry sitting on one of the couches.  
  
"Mind if I wait with you?" He asked.  
  
Harry looked him up and down, taking in his elfin armor. It was of the thinnest steel, that had taken a hundred years to be wrought, and then had a very thin layer of diamond over it all (A/N the diamond is the hardest mineral). On his belt he had a sheathed sword. Over all, there weren't many sets of armor like this, having taken the elves so long to make just one set. "Not at all," Harry said, looking slightly surprised that Malfoy was in his common room, let alone being civil.  
  
Forty-five minutes later Hermione came down with Ginny. Hermione looked like an angel, she had a green dress on that flickered red in the firelight and she had wings that were red and flickered green in the firelight. Her hair was in a complicated twist and she had glitter on her cheekbones.  
  
Draco's jaw dropped. She looked gorgeous. She blushed under his gaze and her wings opened and closed repeatedly.  
  
"You're staring again, Draco, what number is this, a thousand, two thousand, you're just lucky that I don't care anymore," Hermione told him. "Well, shall we?"  
  
"What's wrong with Hermione? She is actually being nice to Draco," Harry asked Ginny behind the couple's backs.  
  
"She is in love, dummy, just don't tell Ron, he would flip," Ginny answered.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione and Draco entered the Hall together and all eyes turned to them. Draco and Hermione walked together to the Prefect/Head table and began to eat. When everyone was finished eating the tables were cleared and sent to the edges of the room. Dumbledore announced that the first dance would be only Prefects and Heads and then everyone could join in after that. The three couples walked onto the dance floor. The song was a waltz and so all three couples waltzed across the dance floor. At the end of the song Hermione was flushed as was Draco. Only one pair of eyes noticed this. During the second song Hermione and Draco danced again, but this time several other couples were dancing too. Suddenly everyone saw a flash of green erupt from nowhere, aimed at one couple. At the last moment the second couple got in the way, as oblivious to the flash as the first couple and it hit the young girl in the back. Instantly she crumpled to the floor, dead. 


	9. Ginny

Chapter 9-Ginny  
  
A/N I am really sorry that she had to die, but she is dead for a reason.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Everyone stared at the body of the redheaded girl on the floor. Harry was crouching beside her, eyes filled with unshed tears. The other couple that had been dancing was kneeling beside the Ginny also (A/N the other couple was Draco and Hermione). "Oh, God," Hermione breathed.  
  
"It was aimed for you Hermione, you were the only other person on the dance floor with your back in that direction," Hermione and Draco looked up at Katie Bell. Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she got up and walked away. Draco got up and followed her.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco walked out after Hermione, hoping that she wouldn't do something stupid. In only half a year, she had lost two of her loved ones. And probably both because of Voldemort. He went over to where she was sitting on a rock by the lake, getting soaked by the drooling sky. He sat beside her, careful of her wings, and after a short while she turned to him.  
  
"Why does he want me dead?" Her wings flapped wetly in the rain as she looked at Draco, her eyes full of sadness. Draco wanted to kiss her just then, but felt that this was a bad time, so resisted.  
  
"Maybe because you are beautiful," Draco said, pulling her close to him, "Or because, like Dumbledore said, Voldemort wants all of your cousin's family killed."  
  
"But I don't want to die, I don't want to be murdered," She sniffed, and snuggled up to him.  
  
He smiled down at her, a genuine smile, and then asked her to put her wings away.  
  
"I can't, they are too wet, I'd catch a cold," She looked up at him and he lost himself in her beautiful brown eyes.  
  
"Then I will just have to take care of you, won't I?" She smiled and nodded, and then pulled her wings back under her skin, it was a lot less painful bringing them in than out, and Draco knew that from experience.  
  
He carried her back up to their common room, but she decided to go see Harry and Ron. "Fine, but I'm coming with you," Draco said.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Draco was kind enough to carry me back to our, common room, but I had to go see Harry and Ron. I told this to Draco and he stated that he would be coming with me. I was too tired to argue with him and so I let him come with me.  
  
As soon as Hermione opened up the door to the Gryffindor common room she noticed the change. Generally, there would be a party going on, especially after a dance, but instead everyone was just sitting there. Hermione scanned the room for Harry and Ron, but couldn't find them. She bit her lip. Maybe they were up in their dormitory. She led Draco across the room and up to their dormitory. She knocked first. And, hearing a muffled come in, walked in. She walked over to Harry first, him being her cousin, and drew back his curtain. There was Harry, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His eyes were red and puffy, rather similar to what hers were probably like. She sat down on the edge of his bed, after using a drying spell to dry herself off. He sat up. "Oh, Harry, it's going to all turn out okay, I know you were in love with her, but she is gone, and we can't bring her back." Harry leaned over and wrapped his arms around her. She patted his back reassuringly. "Shh, shh, there there, it will all end up okay. She wouldn't have wanted you to cry and mope all your life, would she? No, she wouldn't, she would want you just as happy now, after her as you were with her, you got that?"  
  
Harry's crying subsided and he looked into Hermione's eyes, it was apparent that she had been crying too. All he could do was nod. "Now, get some sleep Harry, she wouldn't want you to lose any sleep over her, trust me."  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco had felt his jealousy rise when his 'Mione had Harry's arms around her. He just stood there. When his love was done comforting Harry, she got up and walked to the bed next to his. She pulled away the curtain and looked surprised to see no one on the bed. "Harry, where is Ron?"  
  
Hermione and Draco heard a muffled "Dunno from Harry's bed.  
  
Pulling the curtain back, Hermione asked, "Then can I use the Map?" Harry nodded and Hermione opened his trunk. She ran her hand along the inside of the lid of the trunk and suddenly a catch was sprung and a secret compartment opened. 'Mione pulled out the old bit of blank parchment it contained. She closed Harry's trunk and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out the door. On the top of the steps she tapped the map with her wand and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Suddenly in her hands was a map of Hogwarts, complete with little moving dots that were labeled. She scanned the paper and then tapped a room with two dots in it, and then cursed.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
I flew down two flights of stairs, and then stopped to see his progress. Ron wasn't dead, yet. I ran down two corridors and stopped outside a room. Draco caught up to me and I handed him the map. He paled "Go, get Dumbledore". I burst through the door and yelled, "Stop it right there, Lucious," pointing my wand at the blonde figure. I thought, 'Hurry, my love, hurry, I can't hold him for long.' Lucious stared at me, then grinned. "Stupefy," I yelled, he dodged the spell.  
  
I heard footsteps in the hallway, 'not long now' I thought, but Lucious caught me off guard. "Crucio!" I heard, and then I was on my knees, purple dots exploded in front of my eyes, and my last thought was just a jumble of words before the pain disappeared and I saw nothing.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco paced in front of the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey had kicked him out after he was caught at Hermione's bedside the fifth time without permission, but that had been yesterday. It was now the second day after the curse had been put upon her. And she still hadn't woken up. He was getting worried. Just then the door to the Infirmary opened and out stepped Hermione, she was looking peaceful and wide-awake.  
  
"I was wondering where you were," she said, looking slyly at me.  
  
"I got kicked out," I answered sheepishly. Then I picked her up and began in search for an empty classroom. 


	10. Snogging

Chapter 10-Snogging  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Harry's POV  
  
Harry and Ron walked into the empty classroom, hoping to be able to talk about what had happened with Ron and Lucious. Throwing the Invisibility Cloak off of themselves they heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Quickly they pulled the Invisibility Cloak back on themselves and waited for the person to pass. They had chosen the most inconspicuous room that they had passed to hold this conversation in. Unfortunately that was the kind of room Draco was looking for.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
They had passed several doors on their way down the corridor, and Draco had stopped at one of the least suspicious ones. She opened the door, as Draco couldn't, his hands were full with her. Draco stuck his head in the classroom and looked around. Apparently he didn't see anyone because he walked in, shutting the door behind them with his foot.  
  
He set her down on a desk and put his arms around her waist. She laid her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him down, giving him a sweet tender kiss. But then she pushed him away. "Are you trying to punish me 'Mione?" He whined, looking hurt.  
  
"Yes, because you weren't there when I woke up," He looked shocked.  
  
"But, but she kicked me out, I tried to be there when you were asleep even," he stopped sputtering when she gave a soft chuckle. "What?"  
  
"I love it when you get worked up over the littlest things, and quit making excuses, just kiss me already."  
  
"No, because now I'm going to make you wait," he said, grinning at her. She didn't wait and just yanked him down into a passionate kiss.  
  
Ron's POV  
  
Ron was enraged to see Malfoy snogging Hermione. No matter that this was supposed to be an empty classroom. Harry tried to hold him back, telling him in a barely audible whisper to save it for later. It was all too much for Ron. Ripping off the Invisibility Cloak, Ron roared, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione and Draco looked up. Hastily Draco let go of Hermione and stood in front of her and a little to the side. Peeking out from behind Draco Hermione saw Harry come into visibility. She frowned.  
  
"Snogging?" Draco said innocently.  
  
But this just made Ron angrier. "Snogging, SNOGGING! 'Mione, how can you even touch him, he has been insulting us for four years and now Harry and I catch you two snogging, of all things-"  
  
"Could you leave me out of this, I just wanted to leave," Harry said. Ron ignored him.  
  
"Ron, it's not what it looks like, no wait, it's exactly what it looks like, but listen, I can explain everything," Hermione implored.  
  
"Explain everything? How can you, you were snogging our worst enemy," Ron yelled.  
  
Now Hermione's temper had awoken. "Ron I can't choose who I fall in love with, and you're wrong, Draco is not the enemy, he is my friend and the one that I love. C'mon Draco," Hermione yelled all of it except the last part, and then, grabbing Draco's hand, marched out the door.  
  
Hermione led Draco back to her room in silence.  
  
They both sat on the bed, and before ten seconds was up Hermione was sobbing in his arms. She was saying things like 'hope they'll forgive me' and 'why did I let my temper get away' until she cried herself to sleep.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco laid her in the bed as he did when she fell asleep downstairs. As he was beginning to leave he heard her murmur, "Don't leave me, please," so he went back and lay beside her. Because she was still half asleep she took in only one breath of his uniquely spicy scent before she was asleep. Draco waited another ten minutes to make sure she was asleep and then crept silently from the room. He grabbed his Invisibility Cloak from his room and, slipping it over his shoulders, went into the Gryffindor common room (A/N he used the door in the Prefect common room to get in Gryffindor). He thought about when Hermione had gone to comfort Harry, and then correctly located the fifth year boys dormitory.  
  
Draco listened at the door to make sure no one was awake. Hearing only silence Draco entered. He thought again to that night. Harry's bed had been.to the left? Draco tried it, and found he remembered accurately. After putting a silencing spell on Harry he gently shook him awake.  
  
Harry's POV Harry felt himself being shaken. Waking from his dream he looked up at none other than Draco Malfoy. He uttered a sound of surprise, but couldn't hear himself. This confused him. Malfoy made a motion for silence and Harry, still groggy, nodded and followed Draco to the common room.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
In the common room, Draco took the silencing spell off of Harry.  
  
"Harry, Hermione needs you," Harry looked alarmed at this, "No, not like that, she needs you to still be her friend." The alarmed look dissolved from Harry's features. Harry then nodded.  
  
"Good, I didn't think you would be mad at her because you already knew about us. But I will need you to convince Ron. Seeing as how he doesn't trust me, I think it would be easier if you convinced him and if you are having trouble then I will step in and help," Harry nodded, this made sense. "That's great, I knew that I was right in waking you first," Draco gave him a smile, a true smile. "Now, go wake Ron, we have a lot of work to do."  
  
A few minutes later Harry led a sleepy Ron into the common room. Yawning, Ron said, "Why did you want me down here again?"  
  
"We have to talk about Hermione," Harry stated simply.  
  
Ron was suddenly wide awake, "Hermione who?" He was obviously still mad about what had happened.  
  
"Hermione, our friend, Hermione," Now Harry was getting annoyed, you could tell by the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes.  
  
"I don't have any friends named Hermione," Ron said.  
  
"Ron, we are her best friends and she needs us to keep being her best friends," Harry explained.  
  
"No, she doesn't. She has Malfoy now, she doesn't need us anymore."  
  
"Yes, actually, she does. We love each other, but I can never take the place of a best friend." This was said by Draco as he stepped from under is Invisibility Cloak.  
  
"What is he doing here?" Ron screeched.  
  
"Hush Ron, he knows the password," Harry said.  
  
"Like I said, she needs her friends. She cried herself to sleep, mumbling about forgiveness from you two," Draco conveniently forgot to mention she did this in his arms.  
  
"Fine, but I am only doing this for her, and it I ever see you two snogging *shudder* again, I will personally cut out both your tongues," Ron finally gave in.  
  
"Thank you both, you don't know how much this will mean to her," and with that Draco left the Gryffindor common room to go back to his 'Mione.  
  
A/N- Thank you my reviewers, I wrote this chapter out on paper and it was 7 pages long. And snogging is the same as kissing.  
  
Evie DuGrey- I probably don't have many reviews because I wrote the 9 chapters on Monday and Tuesday, but fanfiction was down on Monday so I posted it all on Tuesday.  
  
Sango-hanyou and all others about lack of detail- I am sorry for the lack of details, but I don't have much of an imagination for details, so I leave that to you guys. Also I am sorry if the constantly changing POV's are confusing you. 


	11. The Prophecy

Chapter 11-The Prophecy  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
"Professor Dumbledore? You wanted to see me?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Ah, yes, I have found something concerning you in The Book."  
  
The Book. Hermione had heard about this. The Book was a book that was filled with prophecies, it never got bigger, even though prophecies were added as they were made. Hermione gulped, "What does it say?"  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to read.  
  
"The heirs four,  
  
Will defeat the dark lord,  
  
On their second attempt,  
  
His death will come,  
  
The only female,  
  
She is his death-bringer,  
  
Through the  
  
Sword of Knowledge."  
  
"But, how does this concern me" Hermione was thoroughly confused.  
  
"You are Rowena Ravenclaw's heir," Hermione heard her mother's voice behind her.  
  
"But.how?" Hermione was more confused than ever.  
  
"Because she was my ancestor, and I her heir, until I had you, and now you are her heir," Hermione was shocked, why hadn't her mother told her before?  
  
"But, who are the other three heirs?"  
  
"That we do not know yet. We know that Voldemort was the heir of Slytherin, but he is also the Dark Lord that you will defeat. He probably passed some of his blood into one of his followers pregnant wives (A/N if that doesn't make sense he has a follower, okay, and this follower had a wife who was pregnant and Voldemort put some of his blood in her so that her child would be his heir) or just into one of his female followers, so his heir is probably the heir of Slytherin." Dumbledore said.  
  
Hermione thought about this and nodded. That would make sense, seeing as how Lord Voldemort didn't have a wife himself and would need an heir.  
  
Dumbledore's voice brought Hermione out of her thoughts, "That is all Miss Granger, you are dismissed."  
  
After Hermione had gone Dumbledore turned to Hermione's mother. Hesitantly he said, "There are several more lines to the prophecy,"  
  
"But there is a price to pay,  
  
The four will have to die,  
  
As well as the Dark Lord,  
  
On the day the darkness is overturned,  
  
But hope there is still,  
  
For Rowena can raise the dead,  
  
But for those she loves to live,  
  
She will sacrifice herself,  
  
To give them life,  
  
And love is also a life-bringer."  
  
"I am truly sorry, but the prophecy is only a guide, but if she does sacrifice herself, then she will be doing it with all knowledge that she will die in doing it," Dumbledore had tears in his eyes as well as Hermione's mother. "It is the last line that still confuses me, 'And love is also a life-bringer,' for that is where the prophecy ends and the mystery begins. Perhaps there is hope for her life yet. I will inform you of information we come up with."  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Hermione entered their common room that night looking confused. She sat down on his lap. "What's wrong?" Draco queried.  
  
"Dumbledore read me a prophecy."  
  
"And, what did this prophecy say?" Draco needed to know anything that was going on with his love.  
  
"It said that Rowena Ravenclaw's heir would defeat Lord Voldemort with the aid of the other three heirs. And then my mum showed up and told me that I was the heir to Ravenclaw," Hermione looked up at him for comfort and found it within his gray eyes. "It also said that I would kill him with the Sword of Knowledge, and I have no idea where that may be or how I will find it."  
  
"Hmmm, wait, I think the Sword of Knowledge, I may have that, I wore the Sword of Love to the Winter Ball, and I have the four Swords total, the Swords of Life, Love, Justice, and I think Knowledge are in the armory at Malfoy Manor along with four suits of elfin armor, one of which I wore to the Winter Ball also. One of the suits was obviously made for a woman, maybe you are supposed to wear that when we go into battle."  
  
"WE, who ever said WE were going into battle? Don't you mean me, I am not going to let you go out there and get yourself hurt," Hermione said.  
  
Draco snorted, why was she being so stubborn? "Yes, we, you didn't think I would let you go out there into battle without your knight in shining armor, besides, how would you get to Malfoy Manor without me?"  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione thought about what she had read about prophecies, something about the people involved would be where they were needed, and if someone was not needed where the prophecy was taking place they would not be there. So Draco could try to come, but if he wasn't supposed to be there he wouldn't be. So after a minute she said, "Fine, you can come," she didn't tell him about what she knew of prophecies, but maybe he was supposed to come.  
  
"Good, I thought you might see it my way," Draco said, pulling her into a kiss.  
  
After that they both read on the green couch for a while. Hermione yawned for about the tenth time. Abruptly, Draco stood up, "Come on, bed time for you little missy."  
  
"But I'm not *yawn* tired," Hermione protested. Draco raised his eyebrows. "Fine, I may be a little tired."  
  
"That's what I thought," Draco answered, carrying her up to her room.  
  
That night Hermione was awakened to a tapping on her window. She rolled over and looked out her window. It was an owl, a huge owl, she could tell that much at least from it's shadow. She struggled out of Draco's grasp and walked over to the window in her pair of red socks with green snakes (random) and opened the window. It turned out that the owl was for Draco. No one would have been able to see the impish glint in her eyes as she walked towards the door. Putting a silencing spell on the door Hermione walked back to the bed. "Draco!" She screamed, and as soon as she saw his eyes open she fell to the floor.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco was rudely awakened by a scream, "Draco!" He opened his eyes and saw Hermione slump to the floor. Draco scrambled off the bed and sat next to Hermione's small figure on the floor. He gently placed her head in his lap. Her eyes fluttered open and she whispered, as though in great pain, "You.have.an owl!" At the last word she jumped up and started to dance around the room, chanting, "You have an owl, you have an owl," repeatedly. He shook his head, she sure knew how to get him to wake up, and walked over to the large owl on the windowsill. He recognized it as his father's. Frowning, he opened the letter and read:  
  
My son,  
I am proud to inform you that the Dark Lord has chosen you as  
his heir, actually, he chose you when you were a baby. You have the  
blood of Dark Lord running through your veins. You should be proud.  
Meet us at the place that is marked on the enclosed map for your  
initiation on your sixteenth birthday.  
Signed,  
Your Father  
  
"Oh, my God, come on Draco," He hadn't realized Hermione had been reading over his shoulder. Hermione grabbed his wrist and led him to Dumbledore's gargoyle in silence. She said the password (Shock Tarts) and took him up the spiral staircase. Draco was very confused, but he trusted Hermione, his love.  
  
Hermione knocked on the door. At the "Come in," Hermione led Draco inside, looking very pleased. Dumbledore sat at his desk as though he had been expecting them. Erratically Draco was very scared, what was going to happen to him, why had he been taken to Dumblerdore in the middle of the night, he hadn't done anything wrong, had he?  
  
Looking up at him Hermione seemed to read his emotions and wrapped his arms around her, for his comfort, not hers. He looked right back down at her and smiled. Dumbledore looked amused, there they were, in the middle of the night, a fifteen year old boy in only boxers, and a girl of the same age in shorts and a matching top that only went to her belly button wearing red socks that had green snakes on them. "Dumbledore, I have found the heir of Slytherin that is to aid me in my task of defeating Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore smiled, then nodded and grabbed The Book so that Draco could learn his fate. 


	12. Trouble In the Library

Chapter 12-Trouble In the Library  
  
A special thanks to Hermione Girl, my tenth reviewer and also close friend ;)  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Hermione was too anxious to go back to sleep that night. She was reading through books in the Prefects library in hopes that she would find a spell that would somehow show her who the other heirs were, but to no avail. There was barely anything anywhere that would even remotely touch on the four founder's heirs. She was getting frustrated. She could find everything from the wizards alphabet (A is for Alohomora, the unlocking spell, B is for Bat's eyes, a potions ingredient.) to how to remove a wart in two simple spells to how to talk to unicorns, but no spell on how to find the heirs. She had an idea. She ran out of the library and up Draco's stairs to his room. She shuffled through his belongings, searching for his Invisibility Cloak. At last she found it, it was in a secret compartment in the lid.  
  
"Hermione, I don't think there is anything here, but where else-" His voice softened as a mischievous look entered his eyes at the sight of her swinging his Invisibility Cloak over her arm "-could we look," He finished. "Get over here you," He picked her up and swung her in a circle. She wrapped her legs around him and he held her back. Draco kissed Hermione tenderly on the nose, "How in the world did you get sorted into Gryffindor, you bad girl, come on, let's go."  
  
They threw the cloak over themselves and put silencing spells on their shoes (in Hermione's case, pink socks with little blue clouds) so they wouldn't make any noise. They made their way without incident except a run- in with Mrs. Norris, who sniffed suspiciously in their general area, but finding nothing, left. Hermione broke the locking spell on the door and they stepped into the library. "Lumos," they said in unison. "Let's get looking," Hermione said, and Draco nodded.  
  
They searched the library for two hours, which stretched to three, and then four. Hermione was getting tired. All of a sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around, and standing behind her was.no one, the row she was working in was empty. She shrugged off the feeling that she was being paranoid until she felt someone breathing on the back of her neck. Once again she whipped around, only to find nothing, once again. Now she was getting scared, she knew that the breathing was real, not her imagination. "Draco?" She yelled, only to feel a hand cover her mouth.  
  
"Silencio," an icy voice said behind her. She turned again; she could feel her captor's hand on her shoulder, but couldn't see anyone. The Invisibility Cloak, Draco and she had left it on the table in the front of the library. She was quick; she readied herself and suddenly swung her leg around where her captor's legs would be. There was a dull thump and the head of a startled Lucious Malfoy appeared. Hermione ran to find Draco. She heard footsteps at her back, but this only made her run faster, she was getting frantic, Draco shouldn't have been too far from her. She saw him in a row, and slipped on the floor trying to get to him. She didn't see her nor notice her cut knee heal itself.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
He heard Hermione yell, "Draco?" but he thought he had found something. He pulled the book out and laid it on the floor where he would find it and looked up in time to see a frenzied Hermione slide past his row, he saw the skin of her knee split and then.repair itself? He didn't have time to think this over though, because Hermione had grabbed his arm and was looking panicked. She tried to talk, but her mouth just opened and closed. Draco, on a whim, said the counter-spell to the silencing spell and Hermione said, "Your father.Invisibility Cloak.grabbed me." Then she collapsed to her knees, panting.  
  
Draco's face hardened, why would his father want to hurt the one he loved, oh yeah, he had forgotten about who her cousin was. She stood up then and he backed her against the nearest shelf and put his arms on either side of her (A/N Draco is facing the row, Hermione is facing the row too, but Draco is in front of her and so she is looking at his back), his father would never get her. Hermione was still holding her wand, as was Draco. Draco was looking up and down the row suspiciously, looking for any sign of his father. They were stuck there, his father would follow them to the Prefects common room and hear them say the password, and they couldn't go anywhere else, because they may be caught out of bed after-hours. He had been lost in his thoughts and wasn't prepared when a wand came out of nowhere and caught him with a stunning spell.  
  
Hermone's POV  
  
Draco went down. She could get him later, Lucious wanted her, and chances were that he would just leave Draco. Ducking and weaving in and out of the rows upon rows of books she stopped next to the one where Draco had fallen, good, he was still there, but Hermione couldn't stop for long, it was dangerous for her. Her heart was screaming, 'go help him, go help him,' but her mind was saying otherwise, with it's reasonable, 'keep ducking and weaving, you can get him in a few minutes, but you can't stay still for long.' Normally she would have listened to her heart, but her mind was speaking more reasonably, so she did as her mind said. She did another round of ducking and weaving, then slid into a darkened corner and waited for Lucious to pass by.  
  
Hermione heard Lucious curse, then took careful aim. She compounded a spreading spell and a stunning spell so that her stunning spell would hit anything that was in the row she was pointing at. She uttered the compound spell softly, so that she wouldn't give herself away if it didn't work. She had never tried to create her own compound spell before, but she had read about how to do it properly, and so had guessed that her spell would work. She heard a soft thud in the row. Gathering her courage she looked down the row and saw a stray foot lying on the floor. It had worked. She walked down the row and pulled the Invisibility cloak from Draco's father. He stirred; a spread spell would wear off quickly, even if the original spell wouldn't. "Nighty night," Hermione said sarcastically before hitting him with a full stunning spell.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Hermione's anxious face looked down on him. Then he realized who had hit him with the spell. His father was levitating a few feet away. Draco stood up, feeling disgusted that he hadn't been able to protect Hermione as well as he should have. "I'm sorry," Draco said, looking and feeling ashamed.  
  
Hermione looked up at Draco, "I don't want your apologies Draco, I can protect myself as well as you can, there was no reason to try to protect me and only me. If you didn't notice, your father didn't hesitate much in hurting you as well. Maybe we can try a back to back formation next time, or not going to deserted places at odd times in the night, or rather, morning. Let's go get him to Dumbledore, I haven't a clue of what to do with him."  
  
Draco nodded as she led the way to Dumbledore for the second time that night. 


	13. Another Prophecy

Chapter 13-Another Prophecy  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
After they had explained to Dumbledore what had happened Dumbledore had wanted them to never be alone, they were to have at least two other people with them at all times, except for obvious exceptions. He then told them that they would just have to wait for the prophecy to be fulfilled to find out the identities of the other heirs. Turns out that he had already searched the Hogwarts library and their library for a spell or potion that would reveal the others. "But I do know how you will identify them. There were three more prophecies that I found, but they were not next to yours, Hermione, so I didn't expect there to be any others about your.helpers shall we call them.  
  
"On the day the darkness is overturned,  
  
Gryffindor will hold the Light,  
  
Slytherin will hold the Love,  
  
Hufflepuff will hold the Life,  
  
Just as Ravenclaw will hold the Knowledge,  
  
Hufflepuff will die twice in this war,  
  
But in the end will walk the Earth,  
  
Slytherin and Gryffindor,  
  
Will each die once, but as Hufflepuff,  
  
Will stay on Earth, unscathed."  
  
"Some of Rowena Ravenclaw's famous traits were her powers to heal and bring life to those that are already dead (A/N I am making this up, but if you see in the real Harry Potter books a real trait of any of the Four Founders, then please put it on a review so I can get it.). Some of Helga Hufflepuff's famous traits were her powers to control the weather at a certain place, meaning clouds, winds, rain, lightning, tornados/hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Some of Godric Gryffindor's famous traits were his powers to pause time for a few minutes and also to change his appearance at will. Some of Salazar Slytherin's famous traits were his powers to speak in parseltongue and his ability with animals. I am unsure as to whether you, Mr. Malfoy, will develop the ability to speak parseltongue, but you never know. Those are the most well known facts about the four founders of Hogwarts. There is a record-book somewhere on them and all of their traits, but it was lost, and no one knows when or where. The abilities should start appearing soon, and-"  
  
"I think Hermione's are already coming," interrupted Draco, "Because tonight, as Hermione was turning the corner into my row, she slipped and I saw her knee split open and then repair itself, the skin started wavering and then the two sides of the cut pushed together and the cut was gone. It happened really fast and I don't think she even noticed that it happened, but I saw it occur and as we passed the spot on the way out I saw a little stain of blood on the carpet," Draco interrupted. Hermione just looked confused, she hadn't noticed herself get cut, but she brought her knee up to her face and examined the scar. It hadn't been there before, how strange, but she was probably just getting her powers like Dumbledore said.  
  
"Now, I expect you two are very tired and you do need to get some sleep tonight, even if tomorrow is a Saturday, so, off to bed with you two," Was it just Hermione's imagination, or was Dumbledore trying to get them out, it didn't matter, he was right. Draco led her up to her room, she was practically asleep on her feet. And there they fell asleep almost before their heads hit their pillows.  
  
After they were gone Dumbledore turned to Fawkes, his ever-faithful friend. "I hate not reading the whole prophecy to them, but I don't think everything will work out the same if I did. But I shall read it to you just to get it off my chest.  
  
"But a price must be paid,  
  
Rowena's life will be lost,  
  
Only love may save her now,  
  
And that is only an if,  
  
If their love for her is strong enough,  
  
If hers is just as strong,  
  
She may live through this yet,  
  
For there is always hope in love."  
  
Hermione woke up when she heard, "WHAT THE-" Her eyes snapped open to Ron's face hanging above her. "-BLOODY-" but before he could finish she grabbed her wand.  
  
"Silencio, now Ron, we can go down to the common room and talk about whatever you wanted to talk about, okay?" Hermione slid out of bed and grabbed Ron's wrist and began leading him to the common room, very aware of Ron glaring at Draco's sleeping form under her blankets.  
  
Down in the common room Hermione took the silencing spell off of Ron and sat on the green couch. "Now, what did you want to talk about?" Hermione looked up at Ron who just stared at her.  
  
"You-you sleep with him?" Ron managed, Hermione had to use all of her self- control to not laugh at his expression.  
  
"Probably not in the way that you are thinking of, but yes, we sleep in the same bed, if that is what you mean," she said calmly. She read his open face, and answered the question that was there, but wouldn't be voiced. "Yes Ron, I am still a virgin," He looked uncomfortable having this conversation with her and so changed the subject.  
  
"Why did you sleep so late, you missed breakfast and lunch, and now there is only half an hour until dinner," Ron began.  
  
"Shoot, seriously?" Ron nodded, "Okay then, you and Harry meet me at Hagrid's hut after dinner and I will tell you everything that happened last night, but I've gotta go get ready for dinner, okay? I'll see you and Harry after dinner Ron, bye," How could she and Draco sleep so late? Oh well, last night had been very busy. Hermione jumped on the bed and shook Draco awake. "Draco, Draco, WAKE UP, WE ONLY HAVE A HALF HOUR BEFORE DINNER!" Dang, was he a heavy sleeper.  
  
Draco groaned, "Five more minutes, please, I'm still tired."  
  
"Nope, otherwise we're going to be late for dinner," Hermione said. This got him up. Without another word he dashed out of her bedroom to get dressed. She grinned at his back and began to get dressed herself.  
  
They met in their common room and walked into the Great Hall together, holding hands (of course). They didn't care if everyone saw them, or found out that they were a couple, because the only person they had ever wanted, or rather, needed to keep it a secret from was Lucious Malfoy, and he had found that out last night. They walked in with the last stragglers, coming from the seventh floor and no wanting to rush. The whole hall looked up at them and stared as they walked to the Prefect/Head table and sat down next to each other. The food appeared on the tables and only the Prefects, Heads and Harry and Ron started to eat right away. Hermione and Draco were nothing new to them, but the rest of the Hall broke out in whispered speculation as to why Hermione and Draco hadn't attended breakfast and lunch, and then appeared at dinner holding hands. Hermione and Draco didn't care, they had been expecting this.  
  
Halfway through dinner Pansy Parkinson came over. "Drakey-Poo, why were you holding hands with the mudblood earlier?" Pansy asked, fluttering her eyelids.  
  
"Because I love her, and she isn't a mudblood and if you call her that again you will wish you were never born," Draco said coldly. Hermione giggled.  
  
"But-but, I thought you loved me, Drakey-Poo, has she put a spell on you?" Pansy seemed outraged that Hermione had been chosen over her.  
  
Draco laughed cruelly, "Pansy I never loved you, you just wanted to believe that I did so that you could get my money. Now, please leave us, and if I have to ask you again it won't be pretty."  
  
"Fine, I will just have to tell your father and see what he has to say about this," Pansy turned to walk away, but stopped for a minute when she heard Draco's voice behind her.  
  
"He already knows, and you know what, he doesn't approve, and you know what else, I don't care," Draco and Hermione turned back to their dinners. 


	14. In Hagrid's Hut

Chapter 14-In Hagrid's Hut  
  
A/N sorry this took so long to get up (I am stuck, so I am not getting my usual 2-3 a day), oh well, you guys only had to wait a day or two. Oh, and to you all who are confused by the prophecies, a) they were written to be confusing, and b) I may change them at some point so that they rhyme, not that this is of any relevance, I just thought that you might like to know. I'm also sorry, but this chapter is rather short by my standards, oh well. Now, the story continues.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
After dinner Draco and Hermione walked out to the lake. Harry and Ron were still in the Great Hall, stuffing their faces. Hermione sat on a flat rock beside the lake and peered into the depths. Draco came and sat beside her on the rock and pulled her onto his lap. Into her ear he whispered, "What are you thinking about, love?"  
  
"How am I going to explain the prophecies to Ron and Harry?" Hermione turned to Draco. Her eyes were deep pools of black in the moonlight.  
  
Draco held her closer and whispered into her hair, "I don't know, but we'll think of something, trust me."  
  
"I already do, I already do," Hermione said, turning slightly to look him straight in the eye. He pulled her into a passionate kiss, but they were interrupted by a cough from somewhere behind them.  
  
"Stick out your tongues please, Malfoy, I do believe I told you that if I ever caught you two kissing again that I would personally cut out your tongues," Ron said, and even in the moonlight you could see the twinkle in his eye, quite unlike Hermione's eyes, which in any other light would have shown the evil glint.  
  
"Only if I can stick it out in his mouth," She answered, eying Draco appreciatively. Ron looked disgusted.  
  
"Okay, never mind then, shall we go to Hagrid's now?" Ron said. He obviously didn't want to see that happen any time soon.  
  
They walked to Hagrid's hut chatting like old friends, as if Draco had been in the gang the whole other four years. Hermione knocked on Hagrid's door when they got there and Hagrid opened the door, ushering them inside. Upon seeing Draco he narrowed his eyes and growled, "Why is he here, Hermione?" putting an emphasis on he and never taking his narrowed eyes off of Draco.  
  
"Well, Hagrid, he is my boyfriend," and she added in an undertone, "So be nice." The other three fifth-years heard this comment and started giggling. Hermione glared at all of them, hands on hips, but could barely stop herself from smiling. They saw this and started laughing harder. Finally Hermione joined the boys in their laughter.  
  
When they settled down Hermione stood up. "Okay, well, I don't exactly know how to say this, so I won't beat around the bush. I am the heir of Ravenclaw. Draco is the heir of Slytherin. We are still searching for the heirs of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor to help. Draco and the other heirs are to help me kill Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore has read us two prophecies. The first was mainly about me killing the Dark Lord with the Sword of Knowledge and help of the other two heirs. The second was more confusing, but we think it meant that the heir of Hufflepuff would carry the Sword of Life into the war, and the heir of Gryffindor would carry the Sword of Light into the war. Then there was something about the other three heirs dying, but still living in the end. All we know is that I am the only girl heir, all the others are guys," and then, turning to Draco, "I think that covers most of it." Draco nodded as she came and sat down in his lap.  
  
The other three in the hut just stared at Hermione and Draco. This had all happened very quickly, and all of them were very confused. Harry regained his senses first and stuttered, "W-when is the war?" Hermione told him that it was on Draco's sixteenth birthday, January the eleventh, a Saturday (A/N hehee, that's my birthday!).  
  
Hermione looked at her watch. "Shoot, Harry, Ron, you two have seven minutes to get to the castle," they looked alarmed, and so everyone said their good nights to Hagrid and left quickly. Hermione told Harry and Ron to go on ahead and that they would talk to them tomorrow. When they were gone she and Draco went back to the rock by the lake. The two lay side by side, looking up at the stars. Hermione broke the silence. "I love you Draco."  
  
"I love you too, Hermione, let's go back now, I'm tired," Hermione snorted, they hadn't been up that long, but before she could protest, she yawned and reluctantly walked back to the castle, with Draco's arm around her waist. 


	15. Christmas

Chapter 15-Christmas  
  
A/N Thank you my twentieth reviewer Teala Snape! Also, the winter ball was held in the beginning of December.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione was there, in a clearing in the middle of a forest. It looked like a meadow, except for the trees that were in a circular shape around it, making it a clearing. In the center was a man with a snakelike appearance who was surrounded by men in plain black robes and masks. Lord Voldemort and at least twenty deatheaters. She had a sword in hand, and looked down on it. On the blade was one word, Knowledge. So this was the Sword of Knowledge. She could see Harry and Ron on either side of her and feel Draco standing at her back; each had their Sword drawn. The deatheaters were all looking at them, and they all had their wands out. The battle was about to begin. "Hermione, Hermione, wake up. Hermione, WAKE UP," The clearing dissolved and Hermione was sitting up in bed, Draco kneeling beside her, looking slightly down on her with frightened eyes.  
  
"Draco, I saw it, I saw the clearing, where we are to battle Voldemort. God it was so scary, it's going to twenty against us four. Harry and Ron are the other two heirs, but I don't know which is which," Hermione said in a rush. Draco looked down on her. Then he grinned.  
  
"Come on, we should go down to breakfast so that we can tell Dumbledore who the other heirs are, and so that we can tell them too," Draco said. (A/N it is now Christmas eve, during Christmas break. The only people still at school are Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick and Trelawny, and the only students are Ernie Macmillan, Collin and Dennis Creevy, and Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Draco, coincidentally (or maybe not) thirteen people. Trelawny never ate anywhere except in her tower, for fear of unlucky-ness) so they dressed and went downstairs for breakfast.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, sir, I saw where the battle will be. And the other two heirs are Harry and Ron, I think we should take them to your office after breakfast and read them the prophecies. Then maybe we could have a spare classroom with a bunch of pillows and books of jinxes, counter- jinxes, hexes and counter-hexes, so that we can practice for the battle," Her face had been anxious, but as she continued talking her face had turned grim. She was going to be prepared for this war with or without help from Dumbledore.  
  
"Maybe we could also have the few days between the end of Christmas break and my birthday without classes so that we can *cough* erm...practice some more," Draco asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure, I wouldn't want you all to be unprepared, you do realize that you absolutely must (emphasis, my italics don't show up) win this war," Dumbledore answered, eyes glittering. "But I will be supervising you during the practice time that you spend when you should be in classes, I know more jinxes and hexes than you could ever find in a book." Draco's face fell; apparently he had wanted to do something other than just practice. Hermione giggled as she saw that Dumbledore was trying not to smile, he had guessed Draco's alternative motives.  
  
The couple sat down to breakfast and began eating. Hermione had two pancakes and two slices of toast and drank a glass of orange juice to wash it all down. This was eaten very slowly and she was done when Harry and Ron had eaten their breakfasts also, even though they came down thirty minutes later than Draco and Hermione and had eaten at least two or three times as much as Hermione had eaten each. Then Hermione took the two unsuspecting boys up to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore looked up at them when they stepped in his doorway (He had left his door open for them) and gestured for them to sit down in the three seats left out for them (He suspected that Hermione would sit in Draco's lap as she had done on all their visits to his office). Hermione sat in Draco's lap and Harry and Ron each sat down. "Ah, the four heirs," He said. Harry and Ron stared at him in a state of shock.  
  
Harry finally found his senses and looked at Ron, he and Ron were the other heirs. Hermione watched this and giggled. "Professor Dumbledore, we are the other two heirs to help Hermione kill Lord Voldemort...?" He seemed to be having trouble processing this information.  
  
"Yes, I think so, and you two are to practice jinxes, counter-jinxes, hexes, and counter hexes until the eleventh of January when you will all go to meet the Dark Lord for the first time," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he opened The Book that was set out on his desk and began to read the two prophecies to the new found heirs.  
  
That night Hermione placed her presents to Harry and Ron under the tree in Gryffindor tower where all of the students (not including prefects) were staying, seeing as how there was only one person who was not a Gryffindor and also putting her present for Draco under the tree in their common room. That night she slept soundly, wrapped in Draco's arms.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco woke up before Hermione did, as usual, but usually he went back to sleep. Not today though, he had to give her the Christmas present that he had gotten for her. He crept out of the room silently and went to go get it for her. Draco went into his room and got his present out of the box he had bought it in. Holding the gift to his chest he crept back into Hermione's bedroom and laid the little gift on her bed, where it clambered over to her sleeping form and started licking her face.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Something wet was on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and let out a squeal of delight. It was a little light brown puppy, with dark brown eyes and a white collar and chest; a lavender bow was tied around its neck. "It's a purebred Basenji puppy," Draco said, as if reading her thoughts. Hermione examined the puppy's pointy ears, which were situated on a triangular head with a slightly long snout. The tail was curled over, and the body and legs were thin, even if the puppy was still short. Hermione pulled the puppy onto her lap and looked at it thoughtfully. She had no idea what to name it. Draco came and sat on the bed beside her, looking at her puppy, but let her alone with her thoughts. Finally she came up with the perfect name.  
  
"Little Dragon," she murmured. Then she smiled. Draco was sort of like an abbreviation for Draconis, which in turn could be translated into The Dragon. Even though Draco's name wasn't short for Draconis, still, it was close, and so she had thought of Little Dragon, or just Dragon for short. Now Hermione was glad that Crookshanks had been so smitten to Sirius and that she had ended up giving him to Sirius.  
  
"Little Dragon," Draco murmured beside her, "I like it." Hermione turned slightly and kissed him. When she pulled away, she knew that they both wanted to kiss some more, but Harry and Ron would start getting worried. Reluctantly she said, "Come on, let's go to Gryffindor. Your present is in our common room, but you can open it in there," Draco sighed, but nodded and followed her out the door, with Little Dragon tucked safely in her arms.  
  
In the Gryffindor common room Harry and Ron had already opened their presents (A copy of "Yet Another Guide to Quidditch" for Harry and Ron each) and were waiting for Hermione to come and open hers. Hermione introduced Little Dragon to them (they rolled their eyes, knowing that Draco could be an abbreviation for Draconis or The Dragon) and started opening her presents. Mrs. Weasly had given her a box of brownies and a light blue sweater. Harry had given her a book of hexes and their counter- hexes and Ron had given her a book of jinxes and counter-jinxes. Hermione turned to Draco, who looked surprised to have gotten three (emphasis) presents (one from Harry, one from Ron, and one from Hermione). Draco opened Ron's first, a box of Chocolate Frogs (Hermione caught his eye and nodded slightly), and then he opened Harry's present, a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, and then he turned to Hermione's present. He opened it and looked at it, obviously confused. Hermione explained that it was called a CD player and it was charmed to work at Hogwarts. She put one of the CDs in it and put the headphones on his ears, pressing play. You can imagine the shocked look on his face when he could suddenly hear music.  
  
They all spent the day relaxing, but in the back of four people's minds was the task that they would be training for starting the next day. 


	16. Training

Chapter 16-Training  
  
A/N Little Dragon is a female puppy.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
It was the day after Christmas. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were in a spare classroom that was filled with supplies. Draco and Hermione would have been paired up together to practice the jinxes and hexes in Hermione's new books, but Draco didn't want to cause her harm, so the pairing went: Harry and Draco, and Hermione and Ron. They had seventeen days to train for battle with the Dark Lord. Hermione only hoped it would be enough time. They only had thirteen days to practice hexing and jinxing, because all the students would be coming back on Sunday the seventh and after that the four would be missing their classes and Dumbledore would be teaching them. Dumbledore hadn't discussed what he would be teaching them, just that he would.  
  
Little Dragon sat on the floor in the classroom everyday and just watched, an amused look on her triangular face. One day when they were working on a jinx that would keep you from using your wand if you just kept eye contact Hermione heard something. It had been in her head, but it wasn't her voice. The voice was husky, and it had said, ~Why are you four practicing magic so much, you do realize that all you four need is in your heads~ all four heirs looked up. "Did anyone else hear that?" Hermione asked, her voice wavering slightly. All of them nodded. Hermione's eyes fixed on the only other animate object in the room, Little Dragon. ~Thank you for finally acknowledging me, oh and I like the name by the way. Right now you are the only one that can hear me, but I can make it so that all four of you can hear me when I want to~ Little Dragon's eyes never left Hermione's.  
  
Ron, Harry, and Draco stared at Hermione as she stared at the dog. Suddenly she smirked and looked back at them, very aware that they had been watching her. Then she rushed at the puppy which stood up so as not to get trampled. "Oh, that's so neat, show them please, in all of our heads, do you understand, oh, please, if you understand bark once," Draco started walking towards Hermione, afraid that she had lost it completely, but stopped in his tracks.  
  
Everyone was hearing a husky voice in their heads, ~Why bark when I can talk, okay, everyone listen up, I know the prophecies already, so no one need to tell me them. I can talk into your heads, and none of you are going crazy. Do NOT tell anyone that I can talk to you guys; I can only talk to you, because you are the heirs in the prophecies. I was meant to come to teach you what you are supposed to be taught, but I would have been able to talk to you anyway, even before you were all ready to be taught what you need to know. This is top secret, okay; I am just an ordinary dog with an extraordinary name~ Little Dragon turned to Hermione, ~You are taking me everywhere, even into the washroom, you are not to be left unguarded, I will follow you to class, sleep at the foot of your bed, sit by the table where you eat, everywhere. My voice can go further distances than your actual voices, I do have my advantages~ if a dog could smirk she would have been. Then Little Dragon began to teach them what they needed to know.  
  
Five days later  
  
Days passed, it was New Years Day, and the four were working harder than ever. Hermione felt rushed on time. There were only eleven days left until the war began for real.  
  
One week later  
  
Three of the seven students who were staying over the holidays were out in the Entrance Hall to greet their fellow peers who were returning that night. But not even then did the other four stop, Little Dragon was sitting there, telling them how to do a new and compound spell that would be similar to a compound spreading and stunning spell that would spread the stunning spell, but it wouldn't weaken the stunning part.  
  
The four walked into the Great Hall a fifteen minutes late. Hermione was having a conversation with Little Dragon inside her head, she had taught all of them how to do this, and now they could talk to anyone in their head, but it tended to freak people out just a little, so they only did it when they had to. The boys were walking behind her, talking about quidditch. They must have looked odd, a girl in front, keeping eye contact with the puppy in her arms and giggling every now and then at seemingly random points in time, followed by two Gryffindors and a Slytherin, who were deep in a conversation about quidditch. They all split up and two of them went to one table, two to another with a puppy in tow.  
  
Over dinner several people *cough*girls*cough* stopped by the Prefects table to pet the "adorable" puppy and find out her name. "See, Little Dragon, they all love you, too bad for them you're mine," Hermione told her, grinning. Hermione then stood up and walked to the teacher's table (Little Dragon at her side), and everyone's eyes followed her as she had a quick discussion with Dumbledore and left the table with a plate at her side, a puppy at her heels, a smile on her face and a whole table of grinning teachers in her wake. She stocked up the plate with food and set the plate on the floor, where the little puppy gave an excited sort of yap and began to eat as Hermione continued her conversation and eating.  
  
The next four days were filled with Dumbledore teaching them how to apparate and to fight the imperius and crutacious (A/N did I spell that right?) curses.  
  
A/N  
  
Dancing Queen: Uh, actually, I just made up that fairy stuff, so I wouldn't really go by what I say in my story.  
  
Apie: I used my pair of PJ's as hers, so we have the same set of PJ's too! 


	17. And the Battle Begins

Chapter 17-And the Battle Begins  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Ron apparated to the woods close to Malfoy Manor. Malfoy Manor had several spells over it to stop people from apparating into it. Hermione kept her grasp on Little Dragon and Draco held his Invisibility Cloak in his arms, as did Harry. Ron was empty- handed except for his wand.  
  
"Follow me," Draco said to them all and began leading them to Malfoy Manor in the light of the setting sun. After thirty minutes Hermione came in sight of the Manor. It was huge and she gasped, but kept moving. Draco led the three other heirs into the Manor covered in the Invisibility Cloaks; they were not to be seen by anyone as of yet. Draco led them through several secret passages and down several flights of stairs. They passed the dungeons and kept going. Draco opened one last door and led them through to the room beyond. It was an armory.  
  
There were four suits of elfin armor on the walls (this is what Draco wore to the Winter Ball), and also four circlets. Harry and Ron stepped out from Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Draco tossed one set of armor to each person (Hermione's had a little skirt sort of thing) and pointed out a room for each person to change in. Hermione examined hers first. It was of the thinnest, strongest steel that took a hundred years to make, and a layer of diamond that was a half-inch thick covered it. There were only four suits of this armor in the world, all of them at Malfoy Manor apparently.  
  
Hermione went into the room that Draco had pointed out to her and found that the armor was shaped more like clothing than traditional armor. She placed the dainty shirt-like piece over her halter-top, and over her hands went gloves of the same armor. Next came the pants and the skirt. On top of everything came her belt, which had a small sheath for a knife about as long as her palm. 'What good will that be except in close combat?' she wondered before going out to meet Draco in the armory. Draco had wings too and she stopped to stare at them, she hadn't known that Draco was a half- fairy also. His wings were white and glittered green in the light, just like hers except they were red and glittered green. When Draco saw her he frowned slightly. "What's wrong?" and then, jokingly, "Am I too shiny for you?"  
  
"No, but I...I have this feeling that you are going to need your wings also," at this Hermione frowned too, but went back into the room that she had changed in. She turned around and put a silencing spell on the door.  
  
In the room she cursed, she hated taking out her wings, even though she had only taken them out twice before. She trusted Draco, and his instincts too, and so she sat down on the floor to bring out her wings. She screamed in pain, but the pain quickly subsided and her wings flapped on her back at her will. She stood up and removed the silencing spell, then bent down to pick up Little Dragon, who, true to her word, had followed her into the room, not to mention everywhere, and walked out to the eyes of three boys.  
  
Hermione heard Draco catch his breath. "Do you have any head protection or something, because I don't want to lose my head, quite literally," she asked.  
  
Draco grinned and then his face turned serious, "Yeah, they're right here," he walked over to the little clear circlets that looked like crowns hanging on the wall. "Here, they will protect your heads and necks from most spells shot at you," he said, handing them out to each person. Closer examination proved them to be made of diamond.  
  
"Wow, Hermione, those wings are real, Harry and I thought they were fake at the ball," Hermione blushed slightly and raised her eyebrows at him as if to say, 'well duh.'  
  
Draco leaned down to Hermione's ear and whispered, "Hermione, I believe there is someone who wishes to see you in that room there," He pointed. Hermione looked confused, but followed the line of his pointing finger, Little Dragon at her heels. Behind her she heard Harry murmur something about Draco being half-fairy, but she had reached the door and stood there for a minute.  
  
"M-mum?" Hermione gasped.  
  
"Yes, sweetie, it's me," came a soft beautiful voice from the room.  
  
Hermione rushed into the room, wings fluttering so hard that she was almost lifted from the ground. "How, how did you get here?" She squeaked, already in her mother's arms.  
  
"I apparated of course, and I knew it would be safe because Narcissa has been my friend since we were the size of pixies," she laughed and Hermione pulled back to get a good look at her. Her wings were violet and shimmered red, and she had a sort of lavender aura about her. "Now, who is this pretty puppy?"  
  
"Oh, that's Little Dragon," Hermione answered, and then, Little Dragon looked thoughtful and Hermione didn't want her mother to think her weird, staring at her puppy so intently, and so she continued out loud, "Draco gave me her for Christmas, and isn't she adorable?"  
  
Her mother nodded and bent to pick up the puppy, and Hermione heard in her head, Hermione's mother looked frightened, but then realized that the little puppy was dead serious and relaxed. Then Mrs. Granger sighed.  
  
"I must not keep you from your task, off with you and we will be spending summer here, so come with Draco at the end of the school year, okay," Hermione nodded, gave her mother a hug, and a peck on the cheek and walked to the door where Draco was waiting for her and Harry and Ron were staring at her mother, and left with Little Dragon, not even realizing that there were tears on her cheeks.  
  
The four warriors drew their swords. Hermione held the Sword of Knowledge. Draco held the Sword of Love. Harry held the Sword of Life. Ron held the Sword of Light (A/N I said that Hermione's sword's sheath was as long as her hand, well, so is everyone else's; but they are charmed to not be bulky, but the Swords are full length).  
  
They got under the Invisibility Cloaks again and apparated to the little clearing in the woods that Hermione had seen in her dream. Lord Voldemort was in the center of the clearing, with twenty deatheaters surrounding him. Ron stepped from under Harry's Invisibility Cloak and said, "I am Ron Weasley, you killed my sister, prepare to meet your doom."  
  
Draco then stepped from his Invisibility Cloak and fluttered his wings slightly. He stood behind Ron and to Ron's left, "I am Draco Malfoy and I am in love with the one who will kill you."  
  
Harry stepped from his Invisibility Cloak, and tossed it behind a bush. He stepped in front of Draco and to Draco's left, straight across from Ron, "I am Harry Potter, the cousin of your doom and the boy who lived."  
  
Finally Hermione stepped from under Draco's Invisibility Cloak and stood in the center of the semicircle of boys, puppy at her side. To add effect she spoke straight into everyone's head, ~I am Hermione Granger, I will be your downfall Voldemort, and I will rid this land of you forever.~  
  
And thus the battle began. 


	18. Death, Life, and A Cat

Chapter 18-Death, Life, and A Cat  
  
A/N did anyone go look up Basenji puppy photos? Adorable hunh? I had half a mind to keep you all waitin' for this chapter, but turns out I had nothing better to do today, so I did it anyway LOL. Oh, and they each have their Sword in one hand and their wand in the other, I forgot to mention that in the last chapter. Anyway, here you go *bows to cheering audience* the next chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
The deatheaters looked slightly nervous that Hermione had just spoken inside their heads. They soon got over it though when Voldemort yelled, "Get them, you idiots, get them!" That was when they started advancing on the four. Little Dragon followed Hermione, dodging spells. Hermione swung her sword, injuring several deatheaters, but not severely. She shot spells and jinxes and hexes at all deatheaters, trying to get to Voldemort. The deatheaters were fierce, but the circlet of diamond, the Swords of diamond, or the diamond of the armor deflected all the spells.  
  
Hermione caught sight of Ron, whose diamond circlet was hovering above his head by a deatheater's levitating charm. Hermione stunned (they wanted all of them stunned or dead, but Hermione preferred stunned) the deatheater and pushed her way through the bodies to Ron, who was dueling a deatheater with his Sword. Hermione supposed that his dead sister was his motivation. Then she stunned that deatheater as well and used a spread stunning spell to make the rest around Ron go down. Hermione started walking away and looked back in time to see Ron's circlet hovering above his head as he got stunned. Hermione walked on in time to see Voldemort touch something on the ground next to him and more deatheaters appeared from no where. ~Harry, Draco, did you two see that, there are more now and Ron is stunned back there.~ she only heard Draco answer. ~Hermione, they are levitating our circlets left and right. Harry was hit by the killing spell when they were doing that, I am very sorry.~  
  
Hermione felt her rage boil, how dare they kill her cousin that was the last straw, she would not stand this. She picked her way through the bodies of stunned and killed deatheaters to Draco, "Where is he?" Draco looked confused, "Harry, where is he?" Draco looked sad, but didn't and wouldn't falter in his wave of spells and stabs. He pointed with his Sword and she looked at Harry's body, then she knelt beside him. She felt several tears escape her eyes and was soon locked inside herself. She was searching, she held all of her magic within her hands. It was burning, but she didn't notice, she was searching for something, ah, there it was. She memorized it and brought herself out of her mind.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
He cut through another deatheater when Hermione came up and asked him where Harry was. Draco shot a spell at the wave of deatheaters and pointed with his Sword. There were still about twenty deatheaters, besides the ten or so that he was fighting, and they were advancing on Hermione. He ran to her side and saw tears running down her face, but she was oblivious to everything. He battled for her, to keep her safe and didn't notice his circlet hovering about his head until it was too late. Finally Hermione came out of her daze. But Draco did notice it when he suddenly felt dirty and small, he still wanted to protect Hermione, his love, but he also wanted to clean himself.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
She looked up and saw Draco's circlet hovering above his head, but before she could point it out he was turned into...a cat? In armor? At any other time she would have laughed at this, but now wasn't the time. Probably her protection spells had stopped the spell from doing what it was supposed to do, unfortunately she hadn't had the time to put protection on all of her friends...or family. She noticed the deatheaters advancing on her and stood up. She thought for a minute and then found what she was searching for and sung the note, high and clear. All the deatheaters stopped in their tracks. She switched several notes lower and held this note. All the deatheaters kneeled onto the ground, covering their ears with their hands, frantic for it to stop, but powerless to do anything. Even Voldemort was in this position and she found that she had a clear path to him. She walked slowly, regally even, and walked up to Voldemort and beheaded him in one swipe of the Sword of Knowledge. But it wasn't Voldemort's snake-like head that fell to the ground. It was Lucious Malfoy's head. Hermione walked over to Ron and knelt by him. Gently she put her hand to his head and went one note higher. His eyes snapped open and he followed her to where the others lay. Hermione knelt by Harry once more and went several notes lower than she had gone the first time and touched Harry's chest, then she switched many notes in quick succession and ended on the note she had started at. Harry got up slowly, holding his head. Then Hermione changed her note again and a few deatheaters stood up and walked towards her.  
  
She picked up Draco-kitty in one hand and Little Dragon in the other and changed notes again. This note was higher than any other and Hermione started to glow gently, a soft red color. When her glow was blinding she slowly started to rise in the air, without the use of her wings, which stayed still. When she was well above everyone's head she began to spin, it was dizzying, she was spinning so fast, but her eyes stayed firmly shut and suddenly all of those that had gathered around her on the ground were spinning too, not as fast but still. Then they were in Dumbledore's office.  
  
Hermione stopped glowing slowly, her light diminishing bit by bit. "These deatheaters are the ones who never and still don't want to be deatheaters," she said to Dumbledore. Her voice was disappearing with her light. "The song was an absolute good, so I was able to apparate here with all the deatheaters." Then turning to Harry and Ron who were staring at her she said, "Harry, Ron, you and Draco need to get some sleep, don't worry, I will be fine. I won't get up for at least a month, but you will know when I am going to get up," Her light was almost gone, it was a faint glow, and so her voice was barely a whisper, "Harry, catch me." Harry caught her just before she hit the ground. She had collapsed from exhaustion. 


	19. Awoken

Chapter 19-Awoken  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco was worried, it had been two whole months since Hermione had fallen. He had refused to leave her side and McGonagall had been away for the first week, so he had stayed in cat form. At night he slept with Hermione, when he was a cat and when he was human again, he didn't want to miss anything. She had slipped into a coma and he was more worried about her than ever. He never went into the Great Hall to eat, he always had his food sent up to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomphrey had refused to let him spend all his spare time there, but he refused to be kicked out, eventually Dumbledore had been called into the matter and he made Pomphrey allow him to stay.  
  
Without Hermione his life was a wreck. He never did homework, or pay attention in class, or even go to quidditch practice. All his spare time went to Hermione. His professors were getting worried about him, but he didn't care, at least he attended his classes. He was continuously pacing the infirmary, snapping at anyone and everyone, especially the Slytherins who went in there to try and get him to get over her. Madame Pomphrey had tried to drug him to sleep, but after it had worked the first time, he refused anything that she and the other professors tried to give him. His only solace was his dreams.  
  
He always dreamt that he was in a forest, sitting below a tree on a blanket. And always Hermione would come and sit down next to him. She was beautiful as always and always had her wings out, as did he. She would talk to him about things going on at Hogwarts, and would reassure him that she would wake up eventually. Then she would drift off into the distance and he would wake up, it would be morning and she would be in a coma beside him.  
  
The next day Draco woke up as usual. He'd had the dream and he ate in bed, with her at his side and Little Dragon at his feet. Then he went to his first class, Transfiguration. His mind wasn't on the curriculum as usual, but on Hermione instead. He looked up at the words that McGonagall had written on the board. They read 'Hermione is waking up, now'...but the assignment was supposed to be on the board. Then the meaning of the words hit him. He cursed loudly at not understanding them sooner and all eyes turned to him as he crashed out of the room. He was running blindly, Hermione was waking up! But when he got to the Hospital Wing there was a saddened Madame Pomphrey standing over Hermione.  
  
Madame Pomphrey looked up when he came in and backed away from Hermione a bit. "She's dead, she was still in the coma as I was standing there, and then she was just ..dead" she said and then burst into tears. Draco walked slowly over to the bed and looked at his 'Mione, she couldn't be dead, the words had said that she was waking up. He checked her pulse, but there was none. came Little Dragon's voice, Draco looked at the puppy, confused Draco did as he was told and sat on the bed, Hermione cradled in his arms. that was Little Dragon. This was getting weird, he had just been thinking that she looked very kissable in his arms, but why should he kiss her, she was dead. I Little Dragon was snarling at him now, so he decided to do as the puppy said. He leaned down and kissed her gently and then he felt his kiss being returned and deepened it. (A/N Awwwwwww, think Sleeping Beauty)  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
She woke up to a kiss. She knew who it was already and she returned the kiss. Draco deepened the kiss and then pulled away. Hermione looked up at him. He brushed away the hair on her forehead and she shifted. Harry and Ron were talking to Madame Pomphrey, looking sad. Hermione squirmed in Draco's grasp, she had to know what was wrong, why did they look like they were about to cry? "Draco, let me go, I have to find out what's wrong," Hermione pleaded, but Draco just tightened his grasp, but stood up with her in his arms and walked over to the doorway.  
  
The movement must have caught Harry and Ron's attention because they looked up and closed the rest of the distance, embracing Hermione awkwardly in Draco's arms. "Oh, Hermione, you're all right, Madame Pomphrey told us that you were dead," Harry said. Hermione was shocked, she had been dead? But how was that possible?  
  
"I-I was dead?" Hermione choked out. She was very confused.  
  
Draco nodded down on her. "I checked your pulse, but there was none, but then Little Dragon told me to hold you and then to kiss you and then you woke up," Draco finished. Then Hermione smiled.  
  
"Sounds like Sleeping Beauty," she murmured. Harry snorted while Draco and Ron looked confused.  
  
"Whatever that is, you were a beautiful sleeper," Draco told her, smiling. She hit him playfully and snorted, then looked hurt.  
  
"Aren't I always a beautiful sleeper?" She batted her long eyelashes at him.  
  
"Yes, yes you are," Draco told her. Harry and Ron looked disgusted, they knew what was coming next, and Hermione leaned up to kiss him and he leaned down to kiss her when Madame Pomphrey came up with a huge block of chocolate.  
  
"If you do not mind I must check my patient, so if you would just carry her over to that bed over there," she said pointing.  
  
"And if I do mind?" Draco asked, eyes twinkling. Madame Pomphrey shoved to chocolate into Harry's hands and glared at Draco as she walked off huffily.  
  
All four of them laughed and went off to find Dumbledore, he hadn't been able to get the full story out of them as they didn't rightly know everything that had happened and had wanted to talk to Hermione when she woke up. Draco didn't let Hermione go, he just carried her the whole way there, and sat down with her in his lap, still refusing to let her go.  
  
"Ah, yes, she has awoken, now, Hermione, if you do not mind, could you please tell me what happened that night in the clearing?"  
  
"Well, it all started at Malfoy Manor..." Hermione told him the whole story, and when she got to the part where she went inside herself and held her magic in her hands he looked very interested. "...And then I apparated here and I knew that with my light was my energy, so when my light was gone, so would my energy, and, well, you know the rest from there."  
  
"Could you please explain to me what an absolute good is?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Well, it's hard to explain, but I will try my best. It is something that does not have an ounce of bad or evil in it, it can break all and any boundary or spells, but only if it is needed. What we needed right then was some way to get to safety and Hogwarts, your office specifically was my safety, so I was able to break all of your boundaries and spells so that I could get everyone to safety," Hermione explained thoughtfully.  
  
"Well okay then do you have any questions to ask me?" Hermione thought for a minute.  
  
"Actually, yes, how long have I been asleep?" Dumbledore frowned, she thought that she had been asleep?  
  
"You went into a coma after the first day and you have been in it for two months and three days."  
  
Hermione stared at him and then yawned. "Come on, it's bedtime for you , good day Professor," Draco carried her out of the office and up to her room. She was asleep in his arms half way there. He lay down next to her and was asleep not long after. 


	20. Summer

Chapter 20-Summer  
  
A/N Thank you Moon Assassin 13, my thirtieth reviewer. *Happy tear* I feel so loved. And also, the diamond circlets only kept their heads and necks from magical harm, physical harm can still come to you when you are wearing it, I dunno if I mentioned that before.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
School passed uneventfully and although Hermione was excused from finals (there was just too much for her to learn) Draco wasn't, so she helped him study and picked up most of the information that she had missed. At the end of the year Hermione and Draco boarded the train with Ron and Harry (and Little Dragon of course A/N I love that name, aren't I brilliant Just Kidding). They all chatted constantly and at one point Pansy came into the compartment, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"Draco, I just wanted to know why we don't hang out anymore, and I think that it's because of the Gryffindor," Pansy pouted. Hermione looked up from her position on Draco's lap and closed the book she and Draco were reading (A/N Hermione is sitting in his lap and he is reading the book over her shoulder).  
  
they all looked stunned, and Crabbe and Goyle were looking about stupidly, searching for the owner to the voice. Hermione and Draco smirked identically at the frightened Slytherins in the doorway. "Now, if you don't mind, we have things to do, bye-bye," Hermione twinkled her fingers at them in a gesture of goodbye. When the Slytherins had left Hermione looked up at Draco and smirked at him, he smirked back and they were about to resume their reading when Harry and Ron burst out laughing. The smirk vanished off Hermione's face; it had been replaced by a confused look. "What?" this only made them laugh harder.  
  
"You *giggle* two have the same *laughter* smirk, and it looks really..." Ron's voice trailed off because he had started laughing again.  
  
"It looks really *giggle* funny when you two do that," Hermione stared at Harry who had broken down laughing just like Ron and then turned to Draco. He shrugged, she shrugged back and they returned to their book.  
  
Later Hermione invited Harry and Ron to spend some time at Malfoy Manor this summer with them, of which Harry eagerly accepted and Ron graciously turned down, he should help his family get through Ginny's death, his family still hadn't gotten over that. This silenced everyone for the rest of the ride. At King's Cross station Hermione said goodbyes to her two best friends, glad that she didn't have to say goodbye to Draco at least.  
  
Draco and Hermione held hands as they walked over to where their mothers were waiting for them. They found an empty room and apparated from the Kings Cross to the woods by Malfoy Manor, their home for the rest of the summer.  
  
The summer passed quickly, too quickly for Hermione and Draco's liking. Mrs. Malfoy spent most of her time moping over her dead husband. Even though he hadn't been the nicest or most attention-giving husband in the world there were worse, and she missed him. So Hermione and Draco spent their days horseback riding, swimming in the lake that was on the east side of the manor or in Draco's library where they planned a costume party/dance for the soon-to-be sixth years at Hogwarts, only excluding one of the four houses *cough*Slytherin*cough* for bad intentions (Apparently they were not willing to believe that Draco had fallen in love of his own accord. Something about getting him back on their side if the mudblood was taken care of...). Soon there was only one month before Hogwarts started again and only one week until the party. Hermione and Draco had already invited everyone to the party, and Harry and Ron also received requests to stay after the party for the rest of the summer and Harry had agreed quickly while Ron had to convince his mother, she gave in eventually though.  
  
With five days to go until the party they set up most of the decorations for the party/dance and planned to do the rest tomorrow. The next day Hermione woke up early and snuck out of bed without waking Draco to do the rest of the decorations. Draco walked down one of the many flights of stairs to find Hermione finishing up the decorations. They took the rest of that day off. The next day (three days until the party) Hermione and Draco woke at the same time and they created a menu. The day after they made it they checked the menu and gave it to the house elves to prepare for the party. On the day of the party Hermione and Draco went shopping for costumes. Hermione chose a sleeveless (tank-top style) deep green dress with princess seams and a slightly flared skirt that showed off her figure perfectly. She would be taking out her wings that night and going as a fairy princess (duh, and yes, again). Her crown would be one of the diamond circlets that were used in the battle. Draco wasn't too happy about his costume though; he would be going as her fairy prince. But she had made him willing after threatening never to kiss him ever again and carrying out her threat for half a day. He was to wear a white suit with shorts and green tights (think Peter Pan) JK (JK stands for Just Kidding A/N he is so not wearing that, how terrible). He was to really wear his suit of armor (again) and his wings, along with his diamond circlet as well.  
  
Finally the night of the party came and there were many knocks on the door and fires burning (for people that were flooing) and many people arrived slightly early. Hermione looked wonderful in her green gown if she did say so herself and she twirled once for herself and then slowly made her way down the grand staircase into the room where the party was to be, fifteen minutes late (for her own party). All eyes turned to her and many people gasped. Once again she had applied glitter to her cheekbones and her hair fell in soft, natural waves about her shoulders, her crown at the top of her brown hair. Her fairy prince was among the many that gasped at the sight of her, making her wings flutter uncomfortably and her glittery cheeks blush. She met Draco at the foot of the stairs and giggled when he stuttered out that she looked beautiful, even his white wings were still. Harry (a vampire) and Ron (a dragon) pushed their way through the crowd and Harry and Ron bent over and kissed her hand as they might a real fairy princess (making her blush harder), but then all formalities dropped as Harry hugged his smaller cousin, crumpling her wings slightly. Hermione hugged him back and then pulled away and addressed the staring crowd. "Hello, did you all come here to party, or to stare at me and my friends?" Everyone turned away hastily and the music started to play.  
  
"May I?" Draco asked, holding out his arm to her.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, taking his arm with hers, "Do you even have to ask?" They waltzed out onto the dance floor with the few other couples that were also dancing, but many couples stood around, just watching. Not many noticed Little Dragon at the top of the stairs, watching over all.  
  
Hermione danced with Draco most, but she danced once with Harry, Ron, Dean, Justin Finch-Fletchy, and Ernie Macmillan. At the end of her seventh dance with Draco, another waltz, Draco dipped and kissed her tenderly, amid many whistles and shouts. But the peace was broken when they pulled apart to find none other than Pansy Parkinson walking across the room towards them. "Who invited you?" Draco asked her venomously.  
  
"A friend," Pansy retorted, by then she had reached the couple. Without any warning she backhanded Hermione across the face, sending her "crown" and body spinning across the floor. A few girls and several other people *cough*boys*cough* rushed to Hermione's aid while several people *cough*boys*cough* went after Pansy. Hermione stood up slowly and walked over to where Draco was threatening Pansy with his Sword (FYI Draco was wearing the Sword on his belt, like in battle).  
  
"Draco, let me handle this," Hermione said softly. Draco swiveled, he opened his mouth to object, but she shook her head slightly. His usually pale face was livid with rage, but he sighed and backed away, handing her the Sword of Love, which she promptly shoved back into his belt. She looked Pansy straight in the eye, but decided it would be better if she were at least at the same eye level as the taller girl. She fluttered her wings until they lifted her to Pansy's eye level. "Pansy as you can see, being here was pointless tonight, unless all you wanted was to degrade yourself. As you can see, there are many people that would come to my aid without me even asking. You may leave," Hermione finished, setting herself on the ground. Instantly Draco was hovering at her side, asking to examine her cheek. Knowing that it would be futile to argue she showed him the bruising that was already appearing on her face.  
  
"God 'Mione, she really got you, wings away," Draco told her  
  
"Draco, honestly, I can walk, she hit my face, and my legs are fine-" But at the look on his face she slowly pulled her wings back inside her back. Promptly he picked her up and she leaned her head against his chest, murmuring in an exasperated tone, "Oh, Draco."  
  
Turning to everyone else, who were staring at them for the third time that night, "Party is still on, we'll be right back." Draco carried Hermione up the grand staircase, Harry, Ron, and Little Dragon trailing behind.  
  
The rest of the party and summer was uneventful, except for rather a lot of notes checking that Hermione was okay, which she was, there was barely any bruise left to mark what had happened at the party when she and her friends boarded the train to Hogwarts.  
  
A/N  
  
Thank you Tiffany, I feel so loved, but I personally don't think that I am better than JKR, because if I were I would have come up with my own characters, but I am still very flattered.  
  
L**ta, yes I have read it  
  
Hplover13, you thought that was a cliffhanger? I didn't think so, plus how could it be, I am on the computer all day almost everyday, so I get chapters up faster than most. 


	21. Blood?

Chapter 21-Blood?  
  
A/N Thank you Amanda Malfoy, my fortieth reviewer. Also, I changed and added a few things to chapter 20, so go reread it please. Also, I am sorry that you had to wait for this chapter, I couldn't think of anything to write, so I decided to just get this out.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione sat at the end of Gryffindor table with Little Dragon at her side. Dumbledore had informed them on the train that for the sorting at least they would be sitting at their own house tables, and maybe even for the whole year. He gave the usual announcements to the first-years and then turned to Gryffindor table, "Miss Granger," he said, holding up a spare gold plate. ~May I summon it?~ Hermione asked him. He hesitated, and then nodded, and finished, "Let the feast begin."  
  
"Accio plate," the plate came towards her and she grabbed it. Little Dragon propped herself up on the table and started listing off things that she wanted, ~oh, and that light stuff over there, oh, that over there looks good too, mmmm, smells good as well, no not that the thing to the right of it, yes that...~ Hermione giggled as she piled the plate with food for the eager puppy, then set it on the ground where Little Dragon promptly set about the task of eating it. She filled her own plate and looked over at Draco, who looked miserable at his table of Slytherins. For only Draco and Dumbledore's heads, she asked, ~Professor, could Draco come and eat over here at Gryffindor table with me?~ Dumbldore looked at Draco, whose eyes were hopeful and he was nodding enthusiastically. Dumbledore looked from one person to the other and nodded. Draco rapidly grabbed his plate and walked without further delay to the Gryffindor table and sat on the very end.  
  
Little Dragon growled at him, ~No, I get to sit next to her, move to the other side, or I'll bite your leg,~ Draco quickly got up and sat back down on the other side of Hermione. The new Gryffindors stared at Draco, then whispers broke out among them, "Why is a Slytherin at our table?" and "Is he a Gryffindor, why is he wearing a green tie then?" and several other similar inquiries. These all required explanation, but eventually everyone quieted and just ate their dinners. Hermione finished before any of her boys (Draco, Harry, and Ron) did and turned, placing her head on Draco's shoulder and her feet on the end, thinking (A/N Draco is eating, facing the table, Hermione has her back to him and her legs are up on the end of the table, with her head on his shoulder.).  
  
Hermione led the Gryffindors up to Gryffindor tower and then went back to the portrait to the Prefects common room. Then she realized that she had no clue what the password was. She knocked on the portrait and waited. She knocked harder and waited again. Hermione finally turned to Little Dragon, ~Is Draco in there, I still need to be able to see the person to talk into their minds, so I wouldn't know.~ The husky reply came quickly, ~No, he isn't, I am sorry.~ Exasperated, Hermione went off in search for someone who would know the password, Dumbledore or one of the other prefects, maybe even the one of the house heads.  
  
Unfortunately the person she ran into was Snape. Snape still didn't like her, even if his favorite student (Draco) was in love with her. "Out of bed after hours?" Snape smirked at her.  
  
"I don't know the password to my common room," Hermione turned to leave, "You wouldn't happen to know it, would you?"  
  
"No," Snape sneered at her, "And ten points from Gryffindor for being out of bed after hours."  
  
Hermione turned around and walked off in the other direction. She was looking at the ground, wondering how Snape could be so mean; she hadn't locked herself out of her common room on purpose or anything. Suddenly she hit something solid, but before she could fall she felt a familiar pair of arms encircle her waist. "Where have you been, I have been looking all over for you, God 'Mione, I was really scared for you," She looked up into stormy gray eyes, thinking how wonderful a boyfriend he was.  
  
"Well, no one told me the new password, so I went looking for someone who might know and tell me," she grinned sheepishly up at him. Draco walked her back to the portrait, telling her the new password (Ravenclaw's heir) then they walked into the common room and both settled down to read.  
  
The next day at dinner Hermione was cutting up her chicken with her knife, but she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, she was thinking. She had a nagging feeling that she and the other heirs should be doing something that was related to animals, but she couldn't think of what. Suddenly she knew what they were supposed to do, she didn't know how she knew, just that it was the right thing. In her excitement her knife slipped, slicing her finger. "Dang it," she examined her finger, wondering how deep it went, but before she could examine it thoroughly the blood came, or was it blood? "Draco, this isn't normal is it?" She put her finger in front of Draco's face, making him go cross-eyed because her finger was too close, and his eyes widened.  
  
"It's...it's blue, but how..." He trailed off, and the question in his eyes was evident.  
  
"I cut myself...wait, I'm the heir of Ravenclaw, right, and Ravenclaw's house color is blue, right, then...?" Hermione was obviously excited at her discovery. "Do you trust me, Draco, do you trust me?" He nodded, giving her a you-honestly-needed-to-ask? look. Hermione grabbed his hand and then her knife in her spare hand. She shot him an apologetic look and sliced a small part of his wrist. He flinched, but didn't pull away. The grin on her face was priceless as she peered at his green blood. She then burst out laughing, making several people from other tables turn to look.  
  
After she had settled down she reached past Draco to Harry, who was sitting on the other side of Draco. "Harry, this may hurt a little, but...well, let's just say that it'll be very interesting," Hermione told him as she grabbed her knife. She continued to talk to him as she slit his wrist slightly as she had Draco, "You know how you are the heir of Hufflepuff, and you also know that Hufflepuff's house color is yellow, well, just wait until you see your blood." Unlike Draco, Harry pulled his hand away, but then stared at the yellow blood that was gushing out of his cut. She continued the procedure with Ron, who had the regular red blood, as he was the heir of Gryffindor.  
  
A/N  
  
LaughingAstarael: Well, I didn't explain that much, but Lucious took a polyjuice potion and so it made him look like Voldemort, who had apparently read or at least heard of the prophecy, or maybe he always had Lucious do that during meetings so that he would never be in danger. Who knows? 


	22. Moody 'Mione

Chapter 22-Moody 'Mione  
  
A/N Since you probably don't want to re-read chapter 21, Hermione's blood is really BLUE and Harry's is really YELLOW, sorry for the mix-up.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione woke up and felt like it would be a wonderful day. No, not even that, a wonderful week, year even. She kissed Draco's cheek, hopped out of bed and just waltzed out of the room to take a shower (literally). Feeling even better (if possible) she walked back into her room and started jumping on the bed, waking Draco. "Dang you, I'm still tired, let me sleep some more, please," Draco said, pulling the red blankets up to his head. Hermione didn't answer, but just kept jumping until she could barely draw breath and then she gracefully swooned onto the bed next to Draco, where she regained her breath and giggled incessantly.  
  
Draco's POV (geez, haven't been here for a while)  
  
Hermione fell onto the bed beside him, judging by the small *whump* sound and then began giggling for no apparent reason. 'Geez, couldn't I have fallen in love with someone who isn't a morning person?' and then, 'No, you couldn't, because she is perfect for you, smart, stubborn, resolute, and completely mischievous when she wants to be.' He grinned despite the argument he'd had inside his head, his second statement had been truer than the first. Without disturbing or even warning Hermione he grabbed his wand off the bedside table and pointed it at her. "Silencio," abruptly the giggling stopped, but he could still feel the bed shaking as though she was still giggling. Her morning cheerfulness was becoming annoying as she grabbed the blankets and pulled then all down to the foot of the bed, leaving him cold. He got out of bed and Hermione started jumping on it. Again. Her mouth was opening and closing as she soundlessly repeated some phrase or another. He muttered the counter spell to silencio and heard what she was saying.  
  
"-Love Draco, I love Draco, I love-" She was cut off as he leapt to her and dragged her down onto the bed, kissing her passionately. When they broke apart she finished, "-Draco." Then she grinned up at him and jumped off the bed and ran around the circular room until she was out of breath (as you can see, Hermione is very energetic this morning). "Oh, Draco, did you know about the Prefects and Heads meeting today, in our common room, it's starting in an hour, I should start getting ready, hmmm, what to wear..." She was digging in her closet and finally found an outfit that she deemed suitable (by the way, it's Sunday) and shooed Draco out of the room. Draco sauntered up the stairs to his room where he got dressed slowly, thinking about Hermione and her odd actions this morning. She hadn't jumped on the bed for a while, and she rarely giggled half as much as she had this morning, and since when did she a) have that many clothes and b) care about what she wore. There was only one explanation that even remotely explained her moodiness, but he couldn't be sure, she could just happen to be obsessed with happiness today.  
  
Draco went into the common room to wait for Hermione, who came down about five minutes later in tears. Draco jumped up from the couch, "What's wrong 'Mione?" He sat down on the couch, cradling her in his arms.  
  
"I don't have any shoes that match this outfit, and now I have to change outfits, and I don't want to change outfits, but I don't have any shoes to match this one," She blubbered, starting to cry again.  
  
"'Mione, you don't need to wear shoes, just put on a pair of socks, we're just going to be in the common room, we're not going anywhere that needs shoes," Hermione looked up at him with tearstained cheeks and he realized that she was getting mad at him, 'but why?' He wondered. He found out soon.  
  
"I don't need shoes, I DON'T NEED SHOES! How can you say something like that! We will be walking around Hogwarts and you expect me not to wear SHOES! I am not going to be going around Hogwarts in just a pair of socks Draco...wait, what's your middle name? I don't know your middle name, how can I not know it?" Hermione wailed, starting to cry again (A/N I am having lots of fun writing this chapter. Hahaha).  
  
"Oh dear," He muttered. Obviously she was being very moody because she was PMS-ing (Dun dun dun. Ahhhhhh, run away). "Look, 'Mione, I don't have a middle name, there isn't one for you to remember, okay? And let me go get Susan to help you with your...erm...fashion predicament, okay, so I'll be right back," (A/N Draco probably does have a middle name, but it is convenient for him not to have one in this story, okay?) Draco ran up Susan's stairs and banged on her door. Soon a disgruntled Susan opened it, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Before she could say anything Draco said, "'Mione is being very moody, she was crying about not having shoes that matched her outfit and then she yelled at me for saying that she didn't need shoes, and after that she was crying because she didn't know what my non-existent middle name is and now she is waiting in the common room for you to help her with her...er...clothing issue, please go help her," Draco pleaded, rubbing his temples. He could see that she was fighting down laughter and he fought down anger, then she nodded and ran to go help Hermione. God, even his mother wasn't this bad. Maybe he should go warn Harry and Ron to watch what they say around her, or he could let them suffer her wrath, but no, no one deserved to be in that kind of danger, especially from the smartest witch in their year. He rushed up to his room and scribbled a note for Harry and Ron, it may be safest to stay with Hermione, or would it be best to stay away? He just didn't know. He handed the note to his eagle and watched it fly away.  
  
At breakfast he gave Harry and Ron a look that asked a question. They nodded simultaneously and Harry quickly asked Hermione if she wanted any pancakes. She turned to him and reached across Draco, suddenly sobbing onto Harry's shoulder. Harry stared at her in shock as she mumbled stuff that sounded like 'nicest thing anyone has ever said to me' and 'awww, you're always thinking of others, how sweet.' Finally she stopped crying and piled pancakes on her plate. Draco filled Little Dragon's plate, not wanting Hermione to blow up again.  
  
"Hermione, could you please pass the pancakes?" Ron asked. Bad move.  
  
"What, do you think I'm your servant, or something Ron, why should I pass you the pancakes when you have half a plate full of food. Think about the starving kids in Africa Ron, what would they say to know that you wasted half a plate of food. Wait, that's it, I'm going to go sponsor a hungry kid in Africa, they at least will appreciate the food that they are given," Hermione walked off in a huff, leaving three disgruntled guys guys behind (who by the way, were giving apologetic looks at Little Dragon who was following her).  
  
"I only asked her to pass the pancakes," Ron muttered. Draco and Harry nodded.  
  
A/N I won't do this much, so don't anyone get any ideas  
  
Please read ChocolateKisses234's story. 


	23. At Hogsmeade

Chapter 23-At Hogsmeade  
  
A/N Thank you cho ChaNG, my FIFTIETH reviewer! But, cho, even if Harry was meant to be in Gryffindor doesn't make him the heir of Gryffindor. And I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but honestly I need something big for the next chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I do own the plot, but the characters and setting belong to J. K. Rowling.  
  
The boys avoided "Moody 'Mione" the rest of the week, and then life went back to normal, well, as normal as life can be at a school where witchcraft and wizardry is taught. The Prefect and Head meeting was postponed a week, to the next Sunday because Hermione was slightly on the weird side and no one wanted to upset her accidentally. At the meeting the regular things were planned, Hogsmeade weekends, ball themes, and the jobs for who would be setting up what. Draco and Hermione got the job of figuring out themes for the balls and writing the things that people would need for the winter ball, then sending out the notes. This was settled quickly for the winter ball as well known fictional characters, muggle or non-muggle. Hermione and Draco would be going as Beauty and the Beast, after the Beast's transformation. They had plenty of time to come up with the theme for the summer ball, so they decided to take their time. The first Hogsmeade weekend was planned for the fifteenth of October, and then all the others around that. Hermione went to sleep that night wondering how she and Draco were going to get out (this is just an estimate, we'll just assume that there are about 40 people in each year) 1,400 invitations for the upcoming ball. Of course, this was only like the second weekend in September, but if you let things wait, eventually you would lose track of time. Monday morning dawned bright and clear, and Hermione woke up decidedly happy, not nearly like the last week, but still rather upbeat. Hermione went, took a shower, woke up Draco with the threat of missing breakfast, and then went down to breakfast with a tired Draco and a perky Little Dragon on her heels. Breakfast was as it usually was, Draco, Harry and Ron talking about quidditch, Hermione on the end, talking silently with Little Dragon as they ate. They received the day's schedules; double potions with the Slytherins, then Care of Magical Creatures class, with the Slytherins again. Hermione sat through the rest of breakfast, then walked hand in hand with Draco to Potions where Snape greeted them. They were to be working in pairs on a dreamless sleep potion. Hermione and Draco were the smartest in the class, and pairing up made them done ridiculously fast, so Hermione partnered with Ron and Draco partnered with Harry. The pair of pairs (heehe) were done only fifteen minutes after the regular potions class would have finished (if this is hard for you to understand. This is double potions; a regular potions class would be done say after an hour. They were done fifteen minutes after this hour). Snape checked their potions for the right thickness, temperature, and color. Everything was perfect. Snape sneered at them, "I have an errand to run, but as you can see, I am busy. You four are to go into Hogsmeade and get me the things on this list," He pulled a list from his pocket. "You must be back in an hour. Ask Hagrid to get you all a mode of transportation. I will write you passes to for if you meet any teachers," He pulled out his wand and summoned parchment and a self-inking quill. He quickly wrote out a pass and handed them some galleons before they rushed out the door. Hermione, Harry, Draco, Ron, and even Little Dragon were glad to get out of potions. Secretly Draco had always hated Snape, but he was the head of his house, so he always pretended that he liked him. They sauntered across the grounds, happy to be out in the sunlight instead of the cold, dank dungeons. Hagrid set up a team of thestrals and a carriage for them and they piled in, not willing to waste any time. They got the items within the first ten minutes and then spent another ten minutes wandering around Hogsmeade, reminiscing. They passed by the Shrieking Shack and stopped a moment, thinking back to their third year, when Harry had thrown some mud at Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco. Little Dragon growled at nothing, but no one noticed. They all laughed at their memory, not paying attention to Little Dragon, but their laughter was cut short when from apparently no where an arm came out and grabbed Draco, shoving him under what must have been an Invisibility Cloak as they could no longer see him. They heard the sharp *crack* of someone disapparating and then the three were alone. Harry and Ron turned to Hermione, who said, in a slightly panicky voice, "I'll meet you both at Hogwarts and disapparated with another crack. They turned on their heels and sprinted to the carriage, ingredients forgotten, but still held in tightly clenched hands. Hermione had apparated to the edge of Hogwarts grounds. An absolute good would have helped, but in this situation, wouldn't have worked. The adrenaline was pumping through Hermione's veins as she ran as fast as a broomstick could fly to the castle in the distance.  
  
A/N sorry that this is a cliffhanger. 


	24. Gone

Chapter 24-Gone  
  
A/N I just added a balcony to Hermione's bedroom.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Hermione hurtled through the doors to the Entrance Hall. The few first and second years that were there stopped to stare, but she paid them no heed, in fact, she went zooming past them so fast that she didn't see them even. She rushed through several corridors, looking for the familiar stone gargoyle. She skidded to a stop so fast that she lurched into Snape, who was blocking her way. She could even see the gargoyle, but Snape stood towering in front of her, not letting her pass. She tried to run around him, but he just stood there. The rest of the potions class was peering at them from behind a wall. They had followed Snape out of the dungeons to see what the commotion was. Hermione tried to get to the gargoyle again, but Snape followed her movements and blocked her as he had the first time, and now he spoke to her. "What are you doing, running around the school like this?" Now another nearby class had joined them, everyone wanted to know what was wrong and what would happen.  
  
"Doesn't matter, I need to talk to Dumbledore," Hermione said, and the urgency in her voice was obvious.  
  
"Twenty points from Gryffindor for that remark and for running in the halls," Snape sneered. He was obviously enjoying this.  
  
"DAMN YOU, SNAPE, YOU CAN BLOODY GO TO HELL," Hermione yelled at him there was an audible gasp from their audience of now three classes. She saw her chance and he saw his. Hermione finally dodged around him and ran to the gargoyle, but before she got there his voice rang out behind her.  
  
"A hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor for your smart mouth Miss Granger," He called after her. She didn't even look back as she breathed out the password and took the steps three at a time.  
  
Hermione didn't even knock as she slammed the door to Dumbledore's office open. "Professor Dumbledore, Snape sent Harry, Ron, Draco and me to Hogsmeade to get some potions ingredients for him and we stopped at the Shrieking Shack for a minute to look at it and than someone grabbed Draco and disapparated out of there with him and I ran all the way here and now he's gone," Hermione had tears running down her cheeks slowly, and she felt exhausted. There was a wave of blackness at the back of her mind, and now that Dumbldore knew what he needed to know Hermione allowed the blackness to consume her and she hit the floor in a faint. She shouldn't have run all the way there so fast; it had exhausted her of even the reserves of her strength.  
  
She woke up in the hospital wing and felt the comforting weight of Little Dragon at her feet. She opened her eyes and saw the worried faces of her comrades, except one. Draco. Instantly she remembered what had happened in Hogsmeade. Her eyes filled with tears and she hoped that she might see her love again. She slid out of her hospital bed as the tears slid soundlessly down her face. "'Mione, it'll all turn out okay eventually, we'll get him back," Harry's words were of small comfort to Hermione as she suddenly grabbed Ron (who was closest to her) and started to cry into his chest. Ron patted her back awkwardly, hoping to be of some comfort to one of his best friends, but unsure of how much comfort he was giving her. Finally Hermione pulled back, and Madame Pomphrey was there immediately and handed Hermione a boulder of chocolate about the size of her hand, with a look that told her to eat it. She smiled sympathetically at Hermione, and then was gone.  
  
Hermione went back to her common room, where Susan Bones and Terry Boot were on their couches. Hermione was surprised to see them; they were rarely in their common room, while Draco and she were in it constantly. Draco. She gave a glance at his empty green couch with her red blanket on it and then to her red couch with his green blanket on it. Her lower lip started to tremble and tears filled her eyes, and then she couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer. She gave a small sob and sank to her knees, chocolate on her lap and a puppy licking away the tears. Half of her wanted to go to her room so that she could just go to sleep and forget about what had happened and the other half of her wanted to grab his blanket off of her couch and go lay down on his couch, surround herself in his house color, in him. But her legs couldn't move, much less could they take her weight anywhere. Susan came over to her as well as Terry, who was slightly unsure of what to do. He pried the chocolate from her grasp and set it on a table and sat beside her, concern in his eyes. Susan sat beside her and patted her back comfortingly, then looked up at Terry. Hermione didn't pay much attention when Terry stood up and walked out of the room.  
  
Several minutes later Terry re-entered the room. Hermione was still in tears and didn't notice. Terry transfigured some object or another into a cup and filled it with the liquid in his hand. He handed the cup to Susan who gave it to Hermione who downed it in one gulp, not even noticing what it was. Suddenly she was very, very tired and as much as she wanted to stay awake, she couldn't resist and was soon asleep. Susan and Terry exchanged glances. Susan quickly levitated her limp body up to her bed and settled her down to sleep. She pulled Hermione's green blanket over her head, remembering when Hermione and Draco had exchanged comforters in the common room for the few times that they didn't sleep in the same room. She gave a wry smile, Hermione had told her that Draco was gone, but nothing else was managed to get out of her. With a small sigh, Susan went back down to the common room. "What did you get her?" She asked Terry, hoping fervently that it was a Dreamless Sleep potion.  
  
"Dreamless Sleep potion, why?" Terry was confused, he was sure that was what she had asked him to get. Susan nodded in evident relief.  
  
"She is going to need it. They have been sleeping in the same room since last year. I think that they tried to sleep in separate rooms once, but neither of them slept well and so they both went back to her room. I hope that was a particularly strong draught, I'm going to bed too."  
  
Terry sat down there a little longer, hoping that Hermione would be okay, he didn't think he could stand another episode like that again, it would just break his heart. She was a beautiful girl, and Draco was just perfect for her. He hoped that Draco got back soon, for Hermione's sake, if not everyone's (no, he doesn't have a crush on her).  
  
The next morning Hermione woke up feeling...empty. She looked out of the balcony and thought for a moment. How thankful death would be. Who knew what they were doing to Draco, she had a hunch that it was Voldemort's followers that had done this. They had wanted an heir and so this would solve it easily. But if Draco came back then it would all be for nothing and he would be devastated that she was gone. She stood up on the railing, death on one side, and safety on the other. It was hard for her to make the choice that she did. She turned and jumped...back to the safety of her balcony. She didn't know what was happening to her love, but she did know that she would be waiting for him when he got back. Killing herself would be useless right now. 


	25. Back?

Chapter 25-Back?  
  
A/N The day Hermione woke up in the hospital wing was the same day Draco was taken, just at night (double potions was in the morning). And it is now the Friday of that week.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco stumbled into the Prefects common room. He muttered something incoherent even to himself and stumbled up to his room (note, his room, not Hermione's), slamming the door behind him. He stared at the red comforter on his bed. 'Why is that thing here, that is the Gryffindor color?' He tore the blanket off the bed and went to bed with just his sheets on, too tired to do anything else, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione woke up from a thankfully dreamless sleep. And sat up on her bed. She remembered parts of last night; she had cried herself to sleep. That explained why she was still in her clothes. She slowly got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Upon her return to her bedroom, which was her sanctuary, a sympathetic Susan stopped her. "Come on, let's go get you some food from the kitchens," Susan put her arms around Hermione's shoulders in a comforting way.  
  
Hermione allowed herself to be led to the kitchens, after Susan convinced her to brush her hair and wash her face. Little Dragon and whispers followed Hermione; she caught a first year Gryffndor telling a friend behind her back, "Yeah, she told Snape to go to Hell, that's why our points are so low. But can you just imagine the look on his face," the girl giggled to her friend. So Hermione walked on, but a small smile adorned her lips, a true smile that reached her eyes, but not her broken heart (aww, how poetic of me.). At the kitchens Hermione ate two pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice.  
  
"Come on, Hermione, you must be hungrier than that, have some eggs or bacon," Her eyes were pleading, so Hermione ate a piece of bacon and refused any other requests. She just wanted Draco, not food or drink, just her love. That would quench any thirst of hers. Little did she know that Draco was up in his room sleeping.  
  
Terry's POV (my readers, you will figure out why this isn't Draco's later)  
  
Terry woke up to the sun across his face. "Stupid bed hangings," he muttered. He rolled over and looked at his clock. "Two o'clock, how could I have slept so late? Oh well, it is the weekend after all," Terry crawled out of bed and went to use the restroom. In the common room was Draco, sitting on his couch, reading a book, with his green blanket over his legs. "Boy is Hermione gonna be glad to see you. You should go to her immediately. She has been moping over you for a whole week and barely eating anything," Terry said, still walking to the bathroom. He didn't hear Draco's reply, nor see the flicker of confusion cross his face.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione walked back to the Prefects common room with Little Dragon in her arms. Little Dragon looked up at her and spoke with pity evident in her voice, Little Dragon whimpered in sympathy and they were silent.  
  
Finally they were at the portrait. Hermione dully said the password and the woman she now knew as Rowena Ravenclaw swung forward for her admittance. Hermione entered the common room and was about to head for her bedroom when she saw a lump and a book on the green couch. She squealed and ran over and hugged Draco. "Where were you, I was so worried for you, oh I missed you so much, you can tell me what happened, all that matters now is that you're back!" Hermione hugged Draco again. Draco pushed her away, confusion on his open face before it disappeared behind his barrier of emotion.  
  
"What are you talking about, and why the heck are you hugging me, get your filthy mudblood arms off of me," Draco's face was still impassive, but Hermione could see confusion and hatred in his eyes, but not the love that had appeared there during the last year.  
  
Draco's POV (I'm sorry, but I can't hide his true feelings from you any longer *author runs from the room, sobbing* at the upcoming horrors)  
  
I stared at the mudblood who had her arms around me as though she was in love with me. What was wrong with her, did she somehow think that I liked her, forget love her, that was too extreme for my mind. She seemed to be in love with me, but how can that be if I didn't love her as well. She pulled her arms off me as though burnt and then she just sat there, watching me with wide eyes. I could see the hurt in those eyes, but why was she hurt, I didn't like her, never did, never would. Bossy know it all mudblood, she was too smart for her own good, why would she hug you, as if you were in love with her, she of all people should know what enemies were at first sight. She had tears in her eyes now and stood up shakily and walked to her room where I could now hear sobbing. No doubt Granger expected me to go up there and comfort her, but why. We were enemies, always were and always would be, why did she suddenly expect any different?  
  
It didn't matter, girls were just as unexplainable as mudbloods, and both together were very amusing, and confusing. And hate-able. Pretty soon Hermione came back down with a cloak and walked into the Gryffindor common room. Draco didn't even look up from his book, he just kept reading.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione went upstairs to her dormitory and cried. How awful, it was like he didn't even love her anymore, she was just a mudblood and he a pureblood. He had acted like he had never loved her, and never would. She eventually stopped crying and stood up. She grabbed her cloak and walked into the Gryffindor common room to tell Harry and Ron. Then she stopped and turned around. They would just want to beat him to death and she wanted to find out what was wrong. But she wasn't ready tonight, so she just went up to her bedroom and cried herself to sleep. 


	26. I Promise

Chapter 26-I Promise  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot, the sad, horrible plot that I am making you read.  
  
Hermione woke up and hoped that yesterday had just been a dream. She replayed yesterday's events on her ceiling. No, Draco really had pushed her away, as if he didn't love her anymore. He had looked...confused at her actions toward him, and angry. But, if he remembered the last year of school then he would have known that a) her father was a wizard, so she wasn't a mudblood (and you all thought I forgot that) and b) that they had fallen in love. Or had they? What if he had been faking it the whole time? Hermione mind-yelled to her. Little Dragon was always so understanding. "I'm going to go talk to him, ask him what happened, it may clear some things up, at least for me," Hermione mused, knowing full well that Little Dragon would have known what she was off to do if she had just stood up and walked out.  
  
Hermione walked into the common room to find Draco sitting on the green couch, reading. She sat on her couch and watched him for a minute; he was so cute when his hair wasn't slicked back. Then she slid to the floor with a small thump. He didn't look up from his book. Hermione edged closer to him. And closer...and closer, she was halfway across the common room now...and closer...and closer. Now she was within a foot of him and he hadn't looked up the whole time. "You know, most people like to walk to get to places, not edge closer little by little," he said this without looking up from his book. Hermione blushed, but scooted the rest of the distance to his couch. "What do you want, mudblood?" he snapped, the mudblood part annoyed her, even if it was not true, but she was not to be perturbed. She had a mission and there was yet to see if she would accomplish it.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you," she said quietly.  
  
"What would I have to say to a mudblood like you?" he growled.  
  
"Well, first off, I'm not a mudblood, okay? And I just wanted to ask you some questions."  
  
"Fine, but I'm not necessarily going to tell you the truth," he said.  
  
"That's fine, what did you do on Monday?"  
  
"I went to potions and then went to Hogsmeade with you, the Potty, and the Weasel, then I don't remember," He trailed off thoughtfully.  
  
Hermione thought to Little Dragon. "What happened last year?"  
  
"I was made prefect, and...." He didn't finish, and one look at him told Hermione he wouldn't under any amount of persuasion. Hermione made her face impassive.  
  
Little Dragon coughed in reply. "What did you do last summer?" Draco didn't answer, so she tried another question. "Do you usually sleep in bed alone?"  
  
"Yes, and wouldn't you like to occupy the extra space, mud-" He stopped and scowled. Hermione smiled angelically. He stood up abruptly and walked up to his room, muttering under his breath about people's sanity.  
  
Little Dragon looked Hermione in the eye. She said, in her husky little voice, Hermione nodded.  
  
Since there was no one else in the common room, she spoke aloud. "Do you think that you could get inside his mind and figure out what is happening? I think that there is still some amount of hope for him; I just hope that it's enough. We'll try that later. You can try it on me, and then maybe, depending on if it is painless or not we can do it while he is sleeping, or in the common room even. I think I have a way to find out if it is the same Draco as last year. Hmmm, well, any ways, let's go find Harry and Ron, they will find something to do with all of us," Hermione stood up and walked out of the portrait hole as Little Dragon followed.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
'Hmmm, so the mudblood isn't really a mudblood. That's very interesting. I wonder why she put up with me calling her mudblood all those years then.' Draco was lying on his bed while he thought this. He got up and walked out onto his balcony. He looked up at the moon. 'Wow, the moon is almost as beautiful during the daytime as it is at night. I wonder if you can apparate to the moon.' He transfigured the lone chair into a hammock and lay down on it, swinging slightly in the breeze. 'This would be really great if I had a book.' "Accio book!" his book came zooming out of nowhere and he lay back and read himself to sleep.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione had spent an eventful day with Harry and Ron. They had played chess, Hermione had even beat Ron once, but she noticed that he didn't play as hard with her as he did with Harry. He had let her win. Then they had gone out on their broomsticks and Harry had even let Hermione use his, for a minute, long enough for her to know that she wanted her feet on solid ground, but a little fly wouldn't do any harm. She was reflecting back on this day as she changed into her pajamas. She would have had fun, if Draco hadn't been on her mind all day.  
  
She walked out onto her balcony and looked out at the stars and the crescent moon. Little Dragon had been unsuccessful in going inside her mind, so she would have to do something else to find out what was going on with Draco. She sighed, 'Oh moon, have you always been so perfect, so beautiful, so good?' Her silent question went unanswered as she looked over at the balcony next to hers. There was a person in a hammock. They had...silvery blond hair; it was Draco! Her heart leapt and then came crashing down, remembering that this was some alien Draco, not her loving Draco. He was asleep and she just couldn't resist. She crouched cat-like on her railing, held a post, and placed one of her feet on his railing, then shifted her weight from her railing to his. Her hands went next, then her leg and she was over! She hopped down and went over to him.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
I woke up; I had been asleep for hours, I could tell because it was nighttime. Without moving my head, I looked up at the stars. They were beautiful and bright. I heard a small thump as if someone had jumped onto somewhere. I quickly closed my eyes on an impulse. I felt someone beside me. Their eyes were searching my face; I could feel them. The person then started to speak to me. Instantly I knew that it was Granger, "Oh, Draco what happened to you, you don't remember me, us. I don't know why that is, but I promise that I will figure out what it is and fix it. I promise." I felt a tear fall on my face, then a cool, soft hand wipe it away.  
  
"Don't touch me, geez, Granger do you honestly have to cry all over me, why are you crying in the first place, I am the same Draco Malfoy that I have always been and always will be. A better question though, why are you on my balcony in the first place?"  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Draco had been awake? But he hadn't opened his eyes, so I decided to escape quickly, maybe then I wouldn't have to answer his question. I crouched on his balcony, then placed one of my feet on mine and transferred the weight. Maybe I did this a little too quickly. I lost my balance, and slowly regained it, by then he was over by the balcony rail though, and I could feel his eyes on me as I moved my hands from one side to the other and jumped silently onto my balcony where Little Dragon awaited my return. I had a feeling I would never try the balcony thing again. 


	27. Memory Charms

Chapter 27-Memory Charms  
  
A/N Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter to you all. I went camping, but now I'm back, so have no fear, T**i is here (I know, I know, cheesy and you want the story right? Well, one last thing). And thank you, Sango_hanyou, my sixtieth reviewer.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco wondered what the heck Hermione had been doing on his balcony. Furthermore, why had she been crying all over him? He could still feel Granger's tear on his cheek, a disgusting monument of the moment. He immediately went into the bathroom and washed his face, particularly where the mud-dang it, she wasn't a mudblood. This was fine; he would just come up with a new insult for her. He snickered aloud; this was going to be fun (sorry Draco-Tom Felton- fans, I know, but you'll see why he is acting like this soon- I think.).  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Why had she gone over there in the first place? It had seemed like a good idea in the first place, but now she saw the flaws. She cried as she sat on her bed. What was wrong with him? Voldemort did something to him, she just knew it, it was obvious, but what was it that had happened?  
  
~Seems to me like he's under a spell, perhaps a memory charm. Although it may be something much more powerful than that, that seems to be the most likely thing that would have to be done to make him act like this,~ Little Dragon's husky voice sang out in her head. "You're right of course, let's go see if Harry will lend us his Invisibility Cloak, we have some business to take care of in the Restricted Section," Hermione's face was grim and Little Dragon had no objections, she liked the old Draco better, but she did have a suggestion. ~You do realize that I know many of the counter- memory charms in my head, so there is no need to go to the Restricted Section and risk getting caught.~ "Oh, Little Dragon, that's wonderful, let's go into the common room and do this, I'm quite afraid that Draco will come barging in here at any moment," Little Dragon gave a little bark and led the way into the common room.  
  
Hermione and Little Dragon practiced remembering charms in the common room for quite some time, until Hermione knew many memory charms and remembering spells (that is what I'm going to call the counter-memory charms OK?). Hermione and Little Dragon were so immersed in their work that they didn't notice (or sense/smell) someone watching them.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco came out of the bathroom to find Hermione, the know it all teachers pet, and her little mutt in the common room, practicing spells with her back to him. The KIA (know it all) was talking out loud to her dog, and practicing charms. He would hear things like, "Like this?" or "Okay, I get it now," or she would ask questions to her dog, like "What was it again?" and things similar to those. Draco realized what this meant; Granger talked to her dog. This would be extremely humiliating if it got out that the KIA talked to her dog, and seemed to expect a response. Never mind that she appeared to be getting it, however weird that sounded.  
  
He sat and watched for a while, then turned go up his stairs. The floor below him gave a loud squeak and he looked up into the startled faces of Granger and the mutt. And though she never opened her mouth he heard her annoying know-it-all voice in his head, ~You do realize that you were eavesdropping,~ Granger's eyebrows raised slightly. Draco was scared, he hadn't ever heard anyone speak like this before, and he had gotten caught eavesdropping, which had never happened before, but he masked his emotions with ease as she continued. ~If you wanted to know what we were doing all you had to do was ask, but I don't think that you wish your pride to sink by let us say, have a nice conversation with the annoying know it all, so I will just tell you. We were practicing memory charms.~ Now another voice came into his head, a husky voice that definitely didn't belong to Granger, which only meant that it could be...~Hiya Draco! Yes, I am the adorable little puppy that is now down here rolling on the ground. Now Hermione, now!~  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
~Now Hermione, now!~ Hermione quickly put the memory charm on Draco so that he would only remember getting up to go to bed. While Little Dragon took over she had snuck behind him, ready to place the memory charm on her one and only love, feeling bad even though she knew that it was for his own good.  
  
Draco went back up to his room and Hermione and Little Dragon went up to theirs, conversing about what type of spell Draco was most likely under. They concluded that he would be under one of the more advanced memory charms and so they would try those first. 'This is going to be hard, but who am I to refuse a challenge...or break a promise?' Hermione thought. She and Draco would have to be in the same room, alone hopefully so that no one would see the spell, and he would have to have his back to her, so that he didn't see the spell. Hermione grinned as she changed into her pajamas and a pair of red socks with constantly moving silver snakes on them, then climbed into her bed. A single tear fell on her pillow as she thought of how empty and cold her bed was without Draco. Then she had an idea to get him back. She got up out of bed to put her plan into action.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
'Stupid alarm clock,' thought Draco as he turned it off (A/N we're just going to say that Hermione gave that to him over summer break.). Draco rolled over and got out of bed. He walked out of his room to go take a shower. No one was in the common room, which suited Draco just fine. He took his shower and then got out, wrapping his towel around his waist. Upon walking out in the common room, he saw Granger hurtling toward him at top speed. She saw him, and tried to stop, but it was too late. She crashed into him and fell to the ground. Nothing stopped her fall. Draco sneered at her and couldn't resist a snide comment, "Geez, Granger, we all knew you were clumsy, but running into innocent people who were just standing there?" and he continued to his room with a smirk on his face.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
She would just have to go see if her plan had worked. She hoped it had. She had snuck into Draco's room and placed all the remembering charms on him. If they had worked then he would wake up with his memory back. If not then...it must not have been a memory charm that made him this way. Hermione was about to do something drastic. When Draco came out of the bathroom she would re-enact their first night there, her running, crashing into him. If he remembered then he would sweep her off her feet, literally. If not, then she would just be humiliated, but she had to try. She just had to. She would do it, for her love. There he was, she ran, she hit...and she hit again, but this time she hit the floor. Draco looked down and sneered at her, then made a snide comment, "Geez, Granger, we all knew you were clumsy, but running into innocent people who were just standing there?" Her eyes filled with tears and she looked at the floor to hide it. She looked up to see him walking away with a smirk on his face. Only then did she let the tears fall. 


	28. A Solution

Chapter 28-A Solution  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or Draco *starts laughing hysterically and hears parents yelling across the room. Gives final giggles* but maybe I can remedy that *starts laughing maniacally and parents send her to room. Author refuses and screams, "No, must tell readers..." and eventually gets dragged off to her messy room laughing evilly.* Readers hear authoritive female voice, "Clean your room," and then more laughter and a teenagers mock heroic voice, "Never!" Authoritive male voice, "Then no computer for a week." Finally a muffled "Okay" between sobs. Later that day she continues to write. Sorry, I am bored, for lack of a way to write the plot that is twisting and turning around in her head. A- ha, now I have an idea of how to write this. Anyway, here is Chapter 28.  
  
Hermione was staring at her ceiling, trying to sleep. She got up and shuffled through her dresser, finally finding a pair of socks that matched her mood. The socks had a tangle of constantly changing colored lines. You could never find out where each line went and the lines never ceased moving, they just continued to twist and turn, layering over themselves in a never ending pattern that never repeated (supposed to be confusing, she is confused). What could possibly be wrong with Draco that would make him act like this? Not a memory charm, and she had used all the remembering charms Little Dragon knew on Draco. She glanced at Little Dragon who was sleeping peacefully at the end of the bed. After many hours of wondering about Draco, Hermione fell into a troubled sleep.  
  
~The Dream~  
  
Ginny was sitting by the lake, a peaceful look on her face. She was in a white dress that was slightly longer than her feet with a square neckline (that sound OK?), V-shaped waistline and billowing sleeves (Author *pouting* MINE, all MINE, I want a dress like that *Starts to cry* suddenly Tom Felton come up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, leaning down...Author snaps into reality from her daydream and keeps writing through her tears). Her shoes (if, indeed, she was wearing any) were unseen below the hem of her dress and her hair was in soft waves of red to her shoulder blades. She looked up as Hermione sat next to her. "Hey 'Mione, what's going on with the living?" Hermione just stared at her and finally thought about what was going on.  
  
"Harry and Ron have finally gotten over your death," Ginny nodded knowingly and Hermione continued, "I think that you were their inspiration for when we battled." Ginny grinned. "A lot of Deatheaters were rescued from Voldemort, or at least the ones that were forced into Deatheater-ism and several others were captured and sent to Azkaban. Draco and I had a wonderful summer, and we hosted a party at his house and...oh, everything was wonderful, but then...oh, and did you know that we all have the same color blood as our houses, like mine is blue, Harry"s is yellow, Ron's is normal, and Draco's is...anyway you do realize that you were the heir of Gryffindor until you..." Hermione's voice trailed off and her eyes formed tears whenever talking about Draco, and finally she was silenced by the thought that the young woman sitting next to her was dead.  
  
"But then what happened between you and Draco?" Ginny pressed, although she asked with the air of someone who already knows the answer. Still Hermione hesitated, not wanting to ruin their time with each other. "Come on, 'Mione, you can tell me, who will I tell?" Ginny's face said that she could be trusted.  
  
"Then we were all sent to Hogsmeade by Snape to get some ingredients for him. We stopped by the Shrieking Shack for a minute and suddenly someone took Draco, and then, four days later he came back and now he acts like he never loved me, and he just acts like he used to and something is wrong with him, I just know that Voldemort is behind it, but I don't know why. And I crashed into him the other day, but he didn't have the Dark Mark on his arm, which just confuses me even more. I have tried all types of remembering charms on him and none of them worked and...and I don't know what to think..." Hermione burst into tears and Ginny put her arm around her. Hermione turned and buried her head in Ginny's shoulder. Despite Hermione's sobbing into Ginny's shoulder, the white dress stayed dry, but Hermione didn't notice this.  
  
"Let me tell you some things Hermione," Ginny said softly once Hermione had calmed down. "Although you don't seem to have thought of this, I don't want you to suddenly and assume it is right. Snape didn't know that this would happen when he sent you all into Hogsmeade, so don't ever assume that it was done on purpose. If Draco did go to Voldemort, why do you suppose he didn't get the Dark Mark?" Hermione looked blankly at her friend, then shrugged. "It was because of your love. Draco got sent back in the condition that he is now in to get you to not love him anymore, only then could they put the Dark Mark on his arm. They got mighty close when you were thinking of jumping off your balcony, let me assure you, but your faith stayed, and saved his arm a lot of pain. Never stop loving him, not ever, no matter how desperate the situation. Hmmm..." She trailed off, thinking, and Hermione stayed still, lost in her thoughts as well. Suddenly Ginny's face split and she was grinning.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Describe the battle to me," Ginny stated. It wasn't a question.  
  
"Okay then, we all apparated to the clearing and stated our names. I spoke in their heads," she snickered, "They looked scared out of their wits when I did that, then they all came at us. I wounded several with my Sword and shot jinxes and hexes and spells at them. I caught sight of your brother, who was dueling a Deatheater while a second Deatheater was levitating his diamond circlet and I stunned them both, then all of those around Ron. I walked away, shooting spells and such all around me, and I looked back and saw your brother get stunned. I knew I couldn't do anything about that without risking myself, so I went on and then I saw Voldemort touch something and more Deatheaters came out of nowhere. I told Draco and Harry of this, and," Hermione choked slightly, and her eyes filled with tears, but she continued, "And, Draco told me that Harry was dead. He pointed me to his body, and as I sat there for a minute and wept, I reached inside of myself, searching for something that would help me. I was vaguely aware of Draco protecting me when I finally found it and came back to the battle. I looked up in time to see Draco turned into a cat and then I stood up and sang the note that I had found in myself, it was our last hope. All of the Deatheaters stopped and then I switched notes and they all dropped to their knees, even Voldemort. I walked over to him and beheaded him, but it was really Lucious Malfoy, he must have taken a Polyjuice Potion or something, anyway, Then I went over to your brother and switched a note, holding my hand to his head. The stunning spell was lifted off of him, and he stood up and followed me to Harry's body. I lay my hand on his chest and switched more notes, and then he was alive again. I changed notes again; this was becoming easier to do, now that I was getting the hang of it, and some Deatheaters stood up and walked towards me. I picked up Draco-kitty and Little Dragon and sang my highest note yet, and I began to glow. When my glow was so bright that not even I could look at myself I could feel myself lifted from the ground. Then I started to spin, I was getting dizzy, then I apparated the few Deatheaters that had stood up were with me, Harry, Ron, Little Dragon, and Draco-kitty into Dumbledore's office, by use of my Absolute Good. Then I fainted and was out for longer than a month, despite my healing powers," Hermione was finally finished and Ginny grinned even wider, if this was possible.  
  
"Could you clarify this for me, your song can only be used for healing and Absolute Goods," Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes, but-" Hermione started, but Ginny cut her off, and was obviously having trouble keeping a straight face.  
  
"But nothing, loosing your memory is an ailment that would need healing, don't you think?" At Hermione's blank look she said more, "Do you get where I am going with this?"  
  
"No, what could-oh, OH, I get it, I could use my song to get Draco back, thank you Ginny thank you!"  
  
"You would do the same for me, if I were in your situation," Ginny's face saddened, "Hermione go get him back, do it for me. I am going to wake you up now, okay, on the count of three, so here goes, one...two...three!"  
  
~End Of Dream~ (and Chapter) 


	29. Back At Last

Chapter 29-Back At Last  
  
A/N Thank you anonymous reviewer that goes by 't baby' for my seventieth review and another thanks for my other anonymous reviewer that goes by Anonimous for my eightieth review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter  
  
Hermione awoke with a start. She remembered her dream perfectly, down to every last detail. She knew what she had to do. She slid silently out of her bed and out onto her balcony, assuming that Draco's door would either be rigged with alarms to wake him up upon her entry, or thousands of locking spells that would take forever to break. She crouched on her balcony and with a last thought of 'Didn't I say that I would never do this again?' slid one of her baby-blue-cloud-with-lions-under-the-rainbows-on- the-clouds socked feet onto his balcony (A/N if that didn't make any sense, her socks are baby blue, with clouds that have rainbows above them. On the clouds, under the rainbows are lions. Still not making sense? Imagine her PJ's with lions standing under the rainbows on the clouds. Got it? Good). She gently shifted her weight and her socked foot that was on her balcony slipped. She yelped and bit back a scream as she fell from her precarious position between the balconies. Her last thought was 'I am sorry that I couldn't save you, Draco, and I love you.'  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco lay on his bed in his boxers, thinking. He was sure that he had heard something moving on his balcony, 'Probably Granger again, she can't take her eyes off me. I know that I'm hot, but seriously, Know It All Granger. She probably came to serenade me again,' at this he chuckled out loud. Then he heard a yelp from his balcony. He climbed under his blankets and prepared himself for sleep. But sleep wouldn't be granted to him.  
  
Author's POV  
  
She sits back in her chair, thinking how evil and fun it would be to stop here. Hears yelling in the distance. She listens closely. She can now make out words, "Stop using your POV, get us to Hermione, what happens, is she dead? Quit stalling and write already!" Author gulps, and then starts writing, before her fans can get to her and kill her for stalling. Sorry, had to make you guys wait. *Laughs evilly until she chokes on her own spit* 'Serves me write, stalling my fans like that, oh, that's what I should be doing, writing. Anyways...  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain...and possibly death. She was falling very slowly it seemed. She opened her eyes and noticed that it didn't just seem that way; she really was falling slowly. She slowly came to a stop and she looked at her feet, noticing for the first time that there was a solid cloud-shaped thing below her. Once she had stopped she slowly started to rise, and she rose until she was level with her and Draco's balcony railings. She stepped onto Draco's balcony and the cloud vanished. She was slightly mad that Dumbledore wouldn't trust the prefects to their own balconies. Probably anyone falling, from anywhere, would be stopped by a cloud like she had been. Unfortunately she couldn't be very angry, it had saved her life.  
  
Anyway, she needed to get down to business, rescuing Draco from whatever he was in. She slid inside her mind and once again, held her magic in her palms. She shifted her hands and found the notes that would restore his memory. She opened her fingers and her magic slid through them, now colder than ice. She retreated from herself and opened her eyes. She looked at the door to his room from his balcony, wide open to the warm autumn night, and slid in silently, after placing silencing spells on her socks.  
  
She slid over to the bed, marveling that although Draco was lying wide- awake on his bed he hadn't taken note of her entry. She stood up beside his bed and he finally seemed to notice her. "What the-" the rest of his sentence was cut off as Hermione sand a note, high and clear, the one that had stopped everyone in their tracks during the battle. He lay still, but his eyes were flashing dangerously. Gently Hermione placed a hand to his forehead, and changed her note. This one was higher than ever and barely audibly. Slowly she slipped into a lower note and then quickly to the high one again. Then she took her hand away and looked at Draco, hoping that it had worked, searching for a reaction in his storm cloud eyes.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
What the heck did Granger think she was doing, slipping into his room without his permission! "What the-" He started, but Granger cut him off by singing. It was a high clear note, and he couldn't move any longer. He was getting angry, he wanted to throw her out of his room, but he couldn't get anywhere near her, he couldn't move at all, he couldn't even blink for Heaven's sake. Gently she placed a hand on his forehead 'Eeeewww, get the Know It All off of me' and sang a few more notes. Suddenly she stopped singing and he saw his 'Mione standing there, searching for a reaction, eyes wide with hope and love. He stood up and grabbed her in his strong arms, swinging her in a circle, and then he stopped and held her close. She seemed slightly surprised, but got over it quickly when he placed his lips lightly on hers. He set her back on the ground and she put her arms around his neck and he pulled away for a minute. "I'm sorry about the way I acted, but I wasn't in control of my actions. I was brought in front of Voldemort and he gave me a potion, and then-"  
  
"Shhh, it's all over now," Hermione said, placing a finger upon his lips to silence him, and then pulling him close again. He leaned down to her and brushed his lips against her forehead, then her closed eyelids, down further to the tip of her nose, and finally coming to rest on her lips, and they stood there for a few minutes as they kissed passionately.  
  
Then they went into the common room to read a book, seeing as how both knew that neither of them would be able to get to sleep after what had happened that night. Draco explained to her that he had been brought in front of Voldemort. He and his Deatheaters had tried to give him the Dark Mark, but they couldn't. In the end they had given him a potion so that he would never remember falling in love with her. The reason of this was to get her to not like him anymore, so that then they could finally place the Dark Mark on his arm. Then they had sent him back so that he could do his job, but thankfully Hermione had found a way to get him back.  
  
After this explanation Hermione told him of her dream and after that they read on Draco's couch with Hermione lying on top of Draco holding the book they were reading. A few hours later the book began to droop in Hermione's grip on it and he knew that she was going to sleep. His eyelids had felt weighted for the past hour and now that Hermione was asleep and they were back together he could sleep in peace. It was in this position that Terry and Susan found them in the next morning.  
  
A/N  
  
kd: I assumed Terry Boot was a boy. I suppose s/he could be either sex. I'm just gonna say that he's a boy though, OK? ;)~ 


	30. A New Reputation

Chapter 30-A New Reputation  
  
A/N Thank you ChocolateKisses234 for my ninetieth review. I do not know if Terry is a boy or a girl, but I am assuming that he is a boy, so...yeah. Here's the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. JK Rowling owns the rest.  
  
Terry went and woke Susan up, passing the common room on his way, but not noticing the sleeping couple on the couch. Susan came out of her room and grasped his hand, leading him through their common room towards the portrait hole slowly. In the common room she glanced around and something, or rather two somethings caught her eye. She murmured a, "How sweet," under her breath. Terry looked up at her and she pointed at the pyramid of Draco with Hermione on top of him with a book on top of her, a pyramid of large to smaller to smaller. Terry nodded in agreement, with a comment of his own.  
  
"Looks like the real Draco is back. That's nice to know, no more Moping 'Mione," Susan gave a little giggle as they walked out of the portrait hole, still hand in hand, on their way to Hogsmeade.  
  
A few hours after Terry and Susan had left Hermione woke up, wondering what the weight on top of her was. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked down at a pair of strong arms encircling her waist and a book on top of that. She smiled sleepily. Draco was back, and he was here to stay, if something like that ever happened again she could just sing and he would be back. "Oh, hush Little Dragon, we had a big night," Rather than comforting, this remark brought a retort. Hermione rolled her eyes and rolled over carefully so that she was face to face with Draco. "Morning sleepyhead, you know what? It's a Hogsmeade weekend, so we practically have the whole school to ourselves, come on let's go," Draco was muttering sleepily about more sleep and Hermione rolled onto her back once more and hopped off of him, sending the book on a short trip to the floor. She picked up the book and smiled at the grumpy Draco. "Come on, or we'll be late for breakfast," Hermione teased.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll meet you down here in a half hour," Hermione rushed up to her room and hurriedly she showered, brushed her hair out, and got into some real clothes. Forty-five minutes later Hermione stepped out of her room to find Draco still sleeping on the couch. She shook him awake and he got up groggily.  
  
"Draco, you told me to meet you down here in a half hour. I am fifteen minutes late, but you still haven't even moved off of the couch," Hermione was annoyed and it was obvious. Draco sat up and magically changed his clothes, then magically dampened his hair. Hermione summoned his gel and put his hair in spikes (Maybe?). Finally they were ready. It had taken Draco about five minutes to get ready while it had taken Hermione forty- five. Draco and her went down to breakfast hand in hand, arriving just as all the late stragglers were coming in.  
  
They sat down and ate a quick breakfast, and then they went for a walk around the lake. They perched on a rock and just sat there, admiring the serenity of the lake. Five minutes later they were kissing. Someone tapped Hermione's shoulder. She broke away and looked at the fourth year standing beside her. She looked the fourth year, "Yes?" The fourth year looked at Draco, obviously scared by the most-likely murderous look he was getting. Hermione swiveled and looked at Draco, who was, indeed, shooting daggers at the poor kid. "Draco, stop that," Draco turned away sheepishly and Hermione about-faced to look at the younger Gryffindor boy once more.  
  
"Ummm...well, I was wondering if..." Hermione waited patiently for him to continue. "If you really did tell Snape that he could go to Hell." Hermione grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Umm, yes, yes I did," Hermione replied, wondering where this conversation was going. He grinned.  
  
"What were your exact words, do you remember? Because everyone is talking about it, and I just wanted to know if it was true." The little Gryffindor asked, slightly hesitantly, not wanting to anger her.  
  
"I said damn you Snape, you can bloody go to Hell," Hermione said guiltily, but the kid didn't seem to mind. He stared at her openly, with awe and admiration in his big hazel eyes, and then he ran away, probably to tell his friends about the truth in the rumor.  
  
"Did I just see you say that you told off a teacher?" Draco said, a huge grin on his face.  
  
Hermione nodded. "It was the day that you were taken. I was frantic and panicked. Snape was blocking my path and wouldn't let me pass to see Dumbledore. I think three classes were watching us from their classrooms and I told him just what I said. He just stood there, stunned and I ran for it. I think I lost us a hundred and twenty points, but you should have seen his face when I said that." Draco chuckled along with her for a few minutes, before turning back to her.  
  
Shaking his head he said, "Miss Hermione Granger, you sure are something else," then he leaned down and kissed her. They stayed on the rock for a few more hours, talking, and then went inside for lunch.  
  
Many stared at Hermione and whispered as she entered. This was the first time in a long while that she had come into the Great Hall to eat with everyone else. She had always slipped off to the kitchens to eat something while everyone else was in the Great Hall. Seated at the Gryffindor table she had many approach her to see if the rumor was true. Upon finding that it was many stared at her or said things similar to 'Wow, you've got some guts,' while others were mad, 'Well, now we're in last for the house cup,' but there were only a few of those. Colin took her picture and asked if she would sign it later. She turned down this offer graciously. Finally Hermione got thoroughly annoyed with this behavior, so she grabbed her three boys by the wrists and stalked out of the hall, listening to Little Dragon sniggering in her mind.  
  
The four went to Hagrid's hut (much to Draco's displeasure), hoping to find sanctuary from the rumors there, but no such luck.  
  
"'Ermione, 'Arry, Ron, M-Draco, what are you all doin' 'ere?" Hagrid asked when he opened the door (A/N I am not good at recreating Hagrid's accent-y thing, so if it is bad, please just imagine that it is correct).  
  
"We came to visit you, Hagrid, we haven't been here in forever," Hermione said briskly.  
  
"Well, you all can come in if yer like, I was just making some tea, would yer all like any? Oh, I just made some liddle cakes too, you can eat as many of those as you would like," Hagrid said politely (A/N I know, I know my 'Hagrid speech' is terrible. I am wincing at my own writing.).  
  
"Oh, yes please to the tea Hagrid," Hermione said. "But we just came from lunch, so we're all full, and I am sure eating one of your cakes will simply make us explode," Hermione added, in a successful attempt to get them out of eating the rock cakes.  
  
"I'm not all that full," Draco piped up. He had never eaten one of Hagrid's rock cakes and, therefore, didn't know how dangerous they were. He took one from the table and tried to eat it, only to spit it out. He handed it to Hermione, who put it in her pocket so that it would appear that he had eaten it.  
  
"Okay then," Hagrid said, finally done putting the kettle on the fire and sitting down at the table with them. "'Ermione, there are rumors flyin' everywhere about yer, about a particular incident with you 'n' Professor Snape. Care to explain what happened?" Hagrid's eyebrows were raised in question.  
  
"Does everyone know about that?" Hagrid nodded and Hermione gulped, thinking 'oh, dear.' "I...well, I erm, I...oh, fine, I ran here from Hogsmeade and Draco had just vanished under mysterious circumstances, so I was frantic and Snape was blocking my way to Dumbledore and so I yelled *cough* at him and ran while he stood there stunned," Hermione coughed with embarrassment when it came to the part where she yelled at him.  
  
"What did yer say to him, 'ermione?" Hagrid asked, instantly suspicious. Hermione heard Draco try unsuccessfully to stifle a snicker behind her back.  
  
"Well, I said, damn you, Snape, you can bloody go to Hell," Hermione murmured. The boys who had heard her were now on the floor behind her, howling with laughter, but Hagrid just looked confused.  
  
"What was that, I missed it?" Hagrid asked innocently.  
  
Hermione glared at him and repeated what she had just said louder. Suddenly he was on the floor beside the boys, howling louder than they at her. "Well, I don't think it's funny, I'm surprised I didn't get expelled," Hermione yelled, huffily.  
  
"You really should be in Slytherin, I am sure that they would accept you with your new reputation," Draco said calming down a bit before breaking out in fresh torrents of giggles. Hermione rolled her eyes. Seriously, guys could be so immature sometimes, she says one bad thing to a teacher in her panic and now she gets a new reputation. Just great.  
  
A/N I know that this chapter is pretty much pointless, but I just wanted to show how the whole school could find out about a thirty-second incident within two weeks, not that we don't already know about that in the real Harry Potter books. 


	31. New Powers

Chapter 31-New Powers  
  
A/N Thank You L**ta (That's Hermione Girl) for my HUNDREDTH review. And my dear readers, I have some ideas for another story. Lucky for you all that I am nice; I will finish this story and then start my new one. I wouldn't make you all wait longer for chapters because I am writing two stories at once. *Bows graciously amid cheering readers.*  
  
Disclaimer: *Knock, knock, knock* 'Hmmm, wonder who that could be,' thinks author as she get up to go answer door. *Gasp* "Mrs. Rowling, what a pleasant surprise, come in, come in," Author stutters and stumbles over her words. Readers listen intently. "Author runs into the kitchen and scribbles something on a piece of paper, then runs out of the room, with the paper in one hand and the pen in the other. "Could you sign this please, right here?" Readers hear scratching of a pen and then, "Here you go, miss, have a nice day," and then the shutting of a door. Author comes into the kitchen, stands in the center of the room and yells, "Finally, Harry Potter is MINE, all MINE, see," she shoves paper in front of computer screen. Readers read:  
  
I, Joanne K. Rowling, hereby give the Harry Potter characters and all  
related items to Miss ________ _. _________.  
  
Signed,  
J K Rowling  
J K. Rowling  
  
Author suddenly wakes up to find herself in front of the computer. No, NO, it was all a dream, I DON'T own Draco...and Ginny, Hermione, Harry and Ron too, but most importantly Draco.  
  
Hermione woke up the next morning feeling annoyed. She had not nearly forgotten about her new reputation, and was very annoyed with it, but she had lost her temper. She just took this as her punishment, oh and the fact that Gryffindor held last place for the house cup. She was surprised that so few people had gotten mad at her for losing all those house points, but then again, it wasn't everyday that someone stood up to Snape. She rolled over and kissed Draco's cheek, then squirmed out of bed to get ready for classes.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco felt something running along the back of his neck. He rotated himself so that he was on his back, stopping whatever it was from continuing its trail of tickles. Now he felt it go, barely even touching him, from the tip of his nose to just below his hairline and back again (hmmm, that always makes me feel sleepy, but reading it makes me want to sneeze how weird, but then I am). Finally he opened his eyes and saw Hermione looming over him. This was obviously his wake up call because Hermione and Little Dragon left the room shortly, Hermione saying over her shoulder that she would meet him in the Great Hall. Soon he got up and got ready for the day.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Draco entered the Hall slightly late, but oh, well, it was of no consequence. He hadn't slicked back his hair, but spiked it as Hermione had done yesterday, this pleased Hermione. He sat beside her and began to eat. 'Geez, he is almost as bad as Harry and Ron when it comes to food,' Hermione thought as she watched him set about his food ravenously. She herself had already finished her own meal and was just waiting for the boys to finish theirs. She held a conversation with Little Dragon to use up the time. Little Dragon didn't speak for a moment, but when she did speak she was thoughtful,   
  
"Yes, we'll do the latter," Hermione mused aloud, earning several confused glances from her fellow Prefects and the Heads.  
  
"You do realize you said that aloud, right sweetie?" Draco murmured in her ear. Hermione turned pink and shook her head. unconsciously she put her hand to where Pansy had smacked her. Draco agreed. The day passed as usual. Neville lost ten points in Potions and Hermione made them up in Transfiguration, and Harry got some in Defense Against The Dark Arts.  
  
Right after her last class that day (Arithmetic) Hermione rushed up to the common room to meet Draco. Little Dragon was just as excited as she was about them spying on the Slytherins, and she voiced this as they rushed through the halls. Hermione was so shocked at the 'The name is Dragon, Little Dragon,' statement that she stopped altogether. Little Dragon snickered. Hermione stared at her dog for a minute, a calculating look on her face, and then she turned and continued on her way to the common room (I thought that would be an interesting thing to put in. Heeheehee).   
  
At the common room Hermione opened to door to Slytherin a crack. Only a few people were in there and they all had their backs to her, deep in conversation. Little Dragon slipped past her legs and slid into the shadows of the common room. Hermione shut the door quietly behind her and went off to beat Harry at chess; he had challenged her to it in Transfiguration.  
  
Hermione (being helped by Draco) and Harry (being helped by Ron) were playing chess for their third time. Hermione had beat Harry the first time. Then he had called a rematch, which he won. So Hermione had called a tiebreaker. They were halfway through the game and Hermione had a few moves planned out for his demise, but of course things weren't going as planned. He had moved his queen out of her way and taken her knight, which was needed for her plan, and done several other similar things. The game was still favoring Hermione though.  
  
She was thinking of which piece to move and then heard Little Dragon.  
  
Hermione stood up abruptly, knocking the chess set over, and Harry, Ron, and Draco looked alarmed. She ran to the door at the end of the room, hitting her hip on a table on the way, but she didn't care because she felt the bruise heal itself, but kept running, the boys not far behind. She ran into the common room and went to the last door on her left, painted green with a big 'S' on it. She ran through to see the whole Slytherin common room in an uproar.  
  
Little Dragon was in a corner, surrounded by angry Slyterins. "We should Avada the dog right now," one yelled. "We should rip it limb from limb, and torture it," hollered another. "We should drop it off of the North Tower, seeing as how it's the mudbloods dog," Hermione stared at the group, aghast, and felt her anger rise up, along with its faithful companion, Temper.  
  
"I don't quite think that that is necessary, I will take the dog and we will be leaving, thank you," Draco said, louder than all the rest.  
  
"Why should we give it to you, traitor?" The group of Slytherins tightened around the dog, laughing mercilessly. Hermione felt a surge of magic waiting to be unleashed, and she knew that if she didn't take Little Dragon and get out of there she wouldn't be able to hold it back any longer; and this scared her greatly, she had never felt like this before.  
  
"Give it here before I count to three and you all will be unharmed," Hermione heard herself say, but she didn't remember actually thinking of saying that. The Slytherins jeered and jelled as she counted, "One...Two...Three, don't say I didn't warn you," She started to glow red as she had during battle, then she rose a few inches of the ground. She rubbed her hands and slowly pushed them apart, feeling the tension between her palms and the magnetic force that seemed to want to hold them together. She stared at the small green ball of fire that was becoming larger the further apart her hands were. She wanted to stop, or at least wanted to know what the ball of fire would do when released, but found that she couldn't stop. She could feel all her emotions being added to the ball and then threw it at the staring Slytherins. They all dropped to the floor, rolling as the room practically shook with their laughter. Hermione hovered a few minutes, and then smoothly lowered to the floor. Draco wrapped her in his arms where she fainted not tow seconds later. The boys exchanged glances and then walked out of the room with their burden and Little Dragon behind them, leaving all the Slytherins with their laughter. 


	32. Introducing

Chapter 32-Introducing...  
  
A/N Thank you anonymous reviewer 'Angie Goose' for my 110th review. Thanks guys! And, all of you who asked where the tickling fireball thingee that made them laugh came from, I don't know, it just came out, I sit at my computer for a few minutes with a short little idea in my head about what to write in the chapter and the story practically writes itself. I would have done something more dangerous, but I didn't want her to be expelled or anything, although it would be interesting. Now I am annoyed, my talking-in-head marks didn't ever show up so you all never read what Little Dragon was saying ahhhhhhhhhh. So I edited all the chapters with Little Dragon talking in them so that you can see what she is saying.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot, the oh so confusing plot that not even I get sometimes.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco made a move to the portrait hole, and then stopped. "There is no need to take her to Dumbledore or Madame Pomphrey, she will wake up in a few minutes, just lay her on the couch," the husky voice said. Draco nodded, speechless. He was very unsure of what he had just witnessed, and he would like to say he had just imagined it, but the whole common room of laughing Slytherins begged to differ. Since Little Dragon had never been wrong before, he laid Hermione's limp body on her couch and knelt by her side with Harry and Ron. True to Little Dragon's word Hermione began to stir after a few minutes.  
  
Hermione's POV (I like her POV better)  
  
Hermione had a whomping headache. She didn't rightly know what had happened. She remembered Slytherins...glowing...laughing...the fireball! She shot up from the pillows, "Shoot, what happened to them, what did it do? I didn't want to hurt them, I couldn't stop myself, but I tried to. What did I do, what did my fireball do? Ung..." She ended with a moan and threw herself back on the pillows. Then she remembered everything that had happened. She started to laugh hysterically. The boys just looked at her concernedly.  
  
~My God, you boys are stupid, and don't look at me like that, or her for that matter. Here, let me explain what I can. She was so mad that they were planning on killing and torturing me, and then they still refused to give me back. She can do that whenever she wants, but it was the raw emotion she felt that brought it out in the open.  
  
~The only other times that her emotions had been so raw were during battle and when you were taken Draco. The only difference between what happened at Hogsmeade and during battle was that in Hogsmeade she panicked, so she couldn't do an Absolute Good. If you three tried to do an Absolute Good it wouldn't work, same with anyone and everyone else.  
  
~When she just glows it means that she is feeling a strong emotion and if she starts floating then she is going to do some magic. This explains that she only started floating during the war AFTER she had killed Mr. Malfoy, because that wasn't magic. Glowing only takes a little of her power, and the floating takes a little more. These were such little amounts that she didn't feel them taken. But the fireball, now that is something different. She put a lot of power into that, and then her emotions were poured into it as well, not necessarily by choice. And that mentally, magically and emotionally drained her, hence the fainting. She is now laughing because she just realized what she did, but also because she handled the fireball, not the entire fireball left her. The laughing should subside about......now.~ At that moment Hermione stopped laughing, with the exception of a few chuckles. The boys just sat there, dumbfounded and confused.  
  
"Wait, I'm confused, how do you know all this?" Harry asked. Draco was now fussing over Hermione and Ron was just sitting there, staring at Little Dragon.  
  
~Well, now that you ask, it is because I am her guardian, sent from...well, somewhere. Anyways, what I found out is that they are all waiting for Lord Voldemort's orders on what to do about you two. But they have waited so long that they are getting antsy and some are planning their own revenge, like love potions or poison and the like. Pansy is planning on poisoning our plates, Hermione, so you should use cleaning charms on them so that we are not harmed. They will be receiving plans from Voldemort tonight on what to do. I have no clue as to what it will be seeing as how I was caught. By the way, thank you for that.~ They all nodded in reply.  
  
Little Dragon seemed intent on making long speeches, Perhaps to cover up something. Was there anything left unanswered? She had explained what happened to Hermione, then she had said the she was her guardian, but from where? Then she had gone into a long explanation on what the Slytherins were planning. Yes, she didn't want them to know where she was from, 'but why, what is she hiding?' Hermione thought.  
  
"Little Dragon, where exactly are you from, and how do you know all this, and there is something that you aren't telling me and I would like to know what it is, so you have some explaining to do little missy and you had better start with the answers soon."  
  
~Fine, I knew that you would ask eventually. But okay then, if you really want to know. I know what is happening to you because I was told that you would start to do this and so I know. But answering all the other questions puts you all in a lot of danger, more so than you are all in now, so if any of you want to know then you had better tell me now,~ Little Dragon seemed nervous, or was it just Hermione's imagination?  
  
"I do," Hermione said.  
  
"Me too," Draco said.  
  
Ron answered quickly, "Don't leave me out."  
  
Harry hesitated, but only for a moment, "Yes, I wish to know as well."  
  
~Fine then. I am Hermione's guardian. I was sent by one of the Her servants to where Draco got me. This was in Her last will and testament that the pup of her dog would be given to a Miss Hermione Granger through a Mister Draco Malfoy.~ Her husky voice seemed to quiver.  
  
She was interrupted, "Who is She, or Her, whoever?" Hermione asked.  
  
~I will get to that in a minute. And now, the time has come for me to tell you what you really are,~ Little Dragon hopped up onto the couch and went up by Hermione's head. She licked Hermione's forehead and said, ~Introducing...~ Everyone held their breath as they watched in awe.  
  
A/N Heeheehee, this is a cliffie. Don't worry, next chapter will be up tomorrow telling you all that you need to know. 


	33. La Principessa Delle Stelle

Chapter 33-La Principessa Delle Stelle  
  
A/N Thank you Kathryn for my 120th review. And if you have not already gone and reread chapters 16-31, please do, I'm sure everything will make a lot more sense if you do. Sorry for the inconvenience. And everyone who is saying Harry should be Gryffindor's heir, NO HE SHOULDN'T, he always gets the fame and glory, so I'm thinking I should give Ron a chance by making him the heir of our primary house. And Thank You all of my readers, I have 125 reviews and NO Flamers so far, only 1 constructive criticism, which was close to a flamer, but wasn't quite one.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
~Introducing...La Principessa Delle Stelle, or Princess of the Stars~ Little Dragon said (Okay, I tried to write this in Italian with an online translator. If this translation is wrong, PLEASE TELL ME!). ~My mother's mistress, La Regina Delle Stelle, Queen of the Stars is the one that I was referring to as Her. The Queen was the peacekeeper on this earth. She was lying on her deathbed when Voldemort was rising. She died on the day that Voldemort met his first demise by your cousin, Harry Potter. Voldemort was greatly weakened because She used her last piece of power at that moment, and combined with the strength in his mother's sacrifice Voldemort was but a wavering shadow of his old self. This is the reason that Lord Voldemort has been able to get up after that and continues to live and beleaguer poor innocents. Hermione was marked as her heir when she died, and now, to prove that you are who I say you are, I will show you your proof.~ Little Dragon licked Hermione's forehead a second time, and then a third. Hermione began to glow once again, then floated just above the couch. There was a great pain in her forehead, and the pain struck her once, twice, three, four, five, six, seven times. The last time held the most pain and it was all that kept her from passing out yet again.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Hermione glowed once again and floated about a few inches above the sofa. Her hair swirled around her and she threw back her head in obvious pain, brow furrowed and cheeks pale. She came back onto the couch with a thump, and the glowing stopped immediately. Little Dragon still lay on her chest, but now she quickly got off. You could see electric currents dancing between Hermione's temples.  
  
The first current was red and it gathered at her left temple, and then shot off to the other, bouncing back to the first, only to shoot to the second as a red blur, it started to slow visibly as it made it's way back to where it had originated on her left temple. But it didn't stop there; it went back to her right temple, and then pulsed seven times on its way back to her left, finally it crawled to her right. It made it all the way and stopped just before her temple, and then shot up and stopped completely at her forehead, just beside her hairline, where it went out and then blasted everyone with light suddenly. Where it had come to rest there was now a black tattoo of a star with a red spot in the center. The star, had it been measured would have fit in a square centimeter.  
  
Now her right temple pulsed with violet light and it danced the same dance as the red current had, except it turned into a star tattoo parallel of the red one above her left temple. Now came an orange light and the same thing happened, but it starred lower than the red and violet ones and a more to the center of her forehead. An indigo beam skipped in the same pattern as the others, resting in a mirrored position of the star with the orange center. The same thing happened with yellow and blue waves, a little lower and closer to the middle of her forehead than the others, but the green did something odd. It did the usual pattern of bouncing back and forth seven times, then stopped straight between the yellow and blue stars (A/N I am referring to the stars as a solid color. Really they are all black, and identical with the exception that each star has a spot of color in the center, and I am referring to the stars by that center color.), rather than going down a little more, although it was placed in the middle. This concluded the rainbow that was in the black stars of the crown on Hermione's head.  
  
Now a last little light climbed. It didn't do the pattern that all the others had, but one that was unique. It began in the temples, but it didn't all gather at one, instead it gathered in central point of her forehead. It just sat there for a minute, and then slowly climbed down and merged with the red star, which glowed white even after it left to go to the violet, which did the same thing. It traced its way through the stars as they had come, leaving each star glowing white. It finally finished with the green star and, with all the glowing white stars in a sort of semi- circle at its back, it went down to where the green star would have been had it followed the same pattern as the others and gone a little lower. As soon as it appeared there it went out. No bang or burst of light, just out.  
  
The now-glowing-white stars grew bright and in pairs, first the violet and red, second the orange and indigo, third the yellow and blue, their lights flew to the place where the white light had vanished and melted into Hermione's skin. Last the green star's light came, dimmer than all the rest, but when it reached the spot where the white light had vanished Hermione yelled out in apparent pain, eyes closed tight in an unsuccessful attempt to ward it off. When the scream subsided, there was a white star with some type of black crystal or mineral in the middle of her brows, where the green one should have been.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione was breathing raggedly when she finally opened her eyes. Her whole body was drenched in sweat and her clothes were sticking to her body uncomfortably. She reached up to her forehead and touched the tattooed crown of stars, flinching when she came to the white one. Harry got up and went into the bathroom, returning a couple of minutes later with a mirror, which he handed to Hermione. She held it up to her head and examined the crown, 'it's very pretty, but the white star is painful,' she thought. She thought about it a little more until Little Dragon's voice cut through her thoughts. ~Now that you have the crown in place, no concealment charms or anything to hide it will work, so there it is and there it will always be. Also, Dumbledore does not know that you are La Principessa Delle Stelle, so I think you should go inform him of this now.~  
  
Hermione nodded and stood up. The world spun and she plopped back down on the couch immediately. She sat there for a minute in the overwhelming silence from the other three. "Let's go now, okay?"  
  
They made their way to Dumbledore's office in silence, and were presented with stares at Hermione's head from all who passed them. They made it to the stone gargoyle and Hermione muttered the password, (Skiving Snackboxes A/N he must still be in touch with Fred and George) and they entered onto the moving spiral staircase.  
  
Draco knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office. No one answered. Draco knocked again, but a little louder, "Professor Dumbledore, sir, we need to talk to you." Silence. Hermione whipped out her wand and muttered several unlocking charms at the door; finally it swung open. Dumbledore was lying on the floor of his office. Hermione ran over to him and put her hand on his neck, searching for a pulse. There was no pulse and he was not breathing.  
  
A/N Heeheeheehe another cliffie, I'm getting good at those. Well, at least you all know who Hermione is now. And my apologies on the big long paragraphs.  
  
SurfAngel- Yes, I know about all the "Adult stuff" in most of the stories and honestly, I don't think that it is necessary. You could just say that they kissed and leave it at that, like I do, or you could go into detail about their kiss. Personally, I would like to leave my kissing as is and not go into too much detail. I am immature about some things and this is one of them, detailed kissing, it doesn't always need to be in detail, that is why I changed my rating from PG-13 to PG, there is nothing PG-13 about anything. 


	34. Wishes

Chapter 34-Wishes  
  
A/N Thank you Fantasy Angel for my 130th review. And sorry I took so long to get this up.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione flinched back. 'How long has he been dead?' She thought frantically. She raised her hand hesitantly over his forehead and then took it away. She pulled out her wand and muttered a spell under her breath and a clock appeared over Dumbledore's head. It read thirteen hours and twenty-seven minutes. Hermione burst into tears.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco stared at the clock over Dumbledore's head. Hermione burst into tears and shouted between sobs, "No, no, this isn't happening, noooo-hooo- ho-ho, no-ho-ho-hoooo," She turned to him and he saw despair in those deep eyes.  
  
"What's wrong? Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked frantically, wondering what had caused her to behave like this. She dove at him and buried her face in his chest, still shaking her head and shouting elongated no's between her tears. "Can't you just sing and bring him back, Hermione what's wrong?"  
  
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. The despair was more pronounced than ever. She shook her head and her body rocked violently with a suppressed sob. He saw her gulp as her eyes streamed with tears and she opened her mouth to speak, and a sob emanated of its own accord from her throat, and she dove at him and pushed herself deeper into his chest.  
  
After a few minutes she came back up. "I can't, he's been *sob* dead for over twelve hours *sob* so I can't *sob* bring him back," She buried herself in his chest once again. He was struck by this new piece of information. She stopped sobbing and sat up, wiping tears from her closed eyes and inhaling deeply. "There is only one way to bring him back, to go," She paused for a minute, swallowing a sob that shook her whole body. She took a shuddering breath and continued, "To go, into death and...and bring him back, but...but, it is dangerous and I may not come back, and then both of us would be dead, and all of the peace on this planet will be ruined." All of the boys stared at her in shock. Harry had tears scuttling down his face in torrents, but never made a sound. Ron had tears in his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling to keep them at bay. Draco just sat there, cuddling and comforting Hermione; his own eyes dry, although he felt the same sorrow as the others. This was very bad news indeed. If Hermione did go into death, who knew how long she would be gone, or if she would even come back to the realm of the living.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Dumbledore was needed on Earth. Hermione knew that, and her decision was made. She took a deep breath, preparing to make her announcement. "I'm going to go into death, Professor Dumbledore is needed here, on this planet. If I don't come back, well, then I'm dead," She said and finally opened her eyes. She instantly regretted it at the looks on her friend's faces and shut them. All the pain was just too much to bear.  
  
"You can't, 'Mione, I don't want you to, what if you never come back? 'Mione, I don't think I could live without you. Please don't go," Draco whined, although she could tell from his voice that he knew she wouldn't be persuaded to not go into death.  
  
Harry and Ron voiced their agreements. Hermione gripped her wand tightly. She silently called upon the help from the stars on a safe return for her and Dumbledore and then she pushed herself over the edge of life and into death. She looked around. She was in Limbo. Limbo was completely white. She looked straight ahead and saw the gates to death. She saw a guard just outside the gates, a big guy, but he didn't look too scary. To his left was a lever that she supposed opened the gates to death. Officially interested she turned around and saw the gates to life. Life also had a guard, the identical to the guard of death. Death looked like utopia, a paradise. Everyone was smiling and obviously happy, there was no poverty and the word starve apparently had no meaning. Life looked terrible. Some people were obviously starving, and others were so rich it was disgusting. She gulped. Death looked so much more inviting than life. She walked toward death slowly. The guard smiled good-naturedly at her and opened the gates. She walked through and started her search for Dumbledore. Finally she found him. He was in a library and reading. Typical. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, you are dead," She informed him, although he probably already knew.  
  
"Yes, I know. Death is wonderful, but what are you doing here?" Dumbledore was smiling, but his eyes held mild confusion.  
  
"I came here to bring you back into life, we need you to help you fight Lord Voldemort. We have no clue when he is going to attack, but we can all be sure that it will be all the sooner since you are gone."  
  
"Miss Granger I have just been accepted into death. I was old; I died of old age. I am sorry, but I can see that you are La Principessa Delle Stelle by the markings on your head. You need to take my place as Headmaster; Lord Voldemort will fear you because you are what you are. Here. Present this to the teachers and staff that are now under your care. I know that you are young. I didn't expect to die so soon. But I trust that you will be a good Headmistress of Hogwarts," He handed her a piece of paper that he had signed while speaking. A single tear traced a wrinkle down his cheek. " I am truly sorry that I must press this on you, but as the peacekeeper of Earth only under your care will the students of Hogwarts be safe."  
  
Hermione's head whirled. This couldn't be happening. She made one last plea, "Please, sir, I beg of you that you come back to Hogwarts and continue living. Please, I beseech you. I am not ready for this," Her eyes and speech implored, but Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"I died a natural death and that is how I would like to die. I am sorry Miss Granger, but I wish to stay in death. You should go now, before you are trapped forever in here," Hermione let the tears slide down her cheeks as she bid him farewell and turned on her heel and walked away, out of the gates of death and back into the realm of the living. The boys looked down at her, worried, as she entered her body. Draco heaved a sigh of relief.  
  
"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked.  
  
"He wanted to stay in death. I don't blame him much, everything is good there and everyone is happy," She frowned at the task Dumbldore had placed on her shoulders and looked back up at the worried faces above her.  
  
"But then...who is Headmaster?" Ron asked.  
  
"I am," Hermione burst into fresh tears. Why did everything have to be about her? She didn't want all the responsibility.  
  
A/N I know this is a weird chapter, not to mention story, but everything is happening for a reason, okay? 


	35. Out Of Control

Chapter 35-Out Of Control  
  
A/N I am going camping this weekend, so I won't be writing far a few days, until Monday. I think.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione knocked on the door to the staff room. Professor McGonagall opened the door. "Good heavens child, what is it?" She exclaimed at Hermione's tearstained face. Hermione took a deep breath to start speaking, but burst into tears once more. This was way out of control. Thankfully Draco took over.  
  
"We need to speak to all of the Hogwarts staff in private. Immediately, it's very, VERY important," Draco said, pulling Hermione to him and letting her cry into his chest. McGonagall seemed to sense the urgency in his voice, and the fact that Hermione had just burst into tears probably helped add to this sense.  
  
"Well, alright then. Come in, come in," She said, ushering them in and then sweeping out the door. Hermione finally settled down. Having someone to help with the world that was on her shoulders helped and she gave a small smile to Draco. She didn't realize that it looked more like a grimace.  
  
A few minutes later the staff started filing in. They all had one thing in common. The looks of worry and/or concern on their faces-except for Snape, who was sneering as always.  
  
Hermione was shaking violently. She had no idea of what to say to them, or how to say it, but she supposed that she had better start with Little Dragon. She explained that the dog was her guardian and that she had just been revealed as La Principessa Delle Stelle, the peacekeeper for Earth. She choked when she came to the part in Dumbledore's office, but couldn't hold back the tears. She explained going into death and Professor Dumbledore's wishes to be left dead. She explained coming back to life, and concluded, "...And then I came here to tell you all of this." It was then that she realized that she had never read the paper that Dumbledore had given her in death. She unclenched her hand from it and read it silently, and then out loud to all of the staff, her staff.  
  
I, Professor Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, hereby  
appoint Miss Granger as the new Headmistress.  
Signed,  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Hermione exhaled with a huge shudder and then looked at her staff. It was all too much. She slid into a state of shock and didn't notice when Madame Pomphrey stood up and announced that the 'poor child' was exhausted. She didn't notice being taken to the Hospital Wing and given a Dreamless Sleep Potion. She didn't notice being put into her pajamas magically or sliding into the bed. All she knew was a blissful, dreamless sleep, a sleep that would have been better had Draco been beside her.  
  
The next day Hermione woke to the smell of Draco. He was obviously very close to her. "Hermione, wake up, we have classes to get to."  
  
"What?" Hermione hoped that yesterday had all been a dream.  
  
"Oh, right, you were here when we decided what we were going to do. We aren't going to tell anyone that Dumbledore is dead and that you are Headmistress. Oh, and you are supposed to wear your wizards hat over your...er, crown...thing," Draco obviously was confused, so Hermione just nodded and got out of bed. Madame Pomphrey was at her side instantly. She handed her a block of chocolate and left. Hermione guessed that she didn't like Draco...or was unsure of how to act around the younger Headmistress.  
  
Hermione sighed and got dressed magically, then put on her hat and exited the room with Draco behind. Little Dragon was waiting for her in the corridor and the three of them went to breakfast.  
  
After breakfast Hermione and Draco went to their first class, Double Care of Magical Creatures. Harry and Ron looked as tired as Hermione felt. Half of the class went smoothly, but then Professor Flitwick came.  
  
"I need to speak with you Miss Granger, alone," He said in his squeaky voice. The whole class was watching while pretending to do their assignment. Hermione nodded and Flitwick went halfway back to the castle with her, away from prying ears.  
  
"Miss Granger, as you know, the Winter Ball is coming up soon and I was preparing the decorations when I realized that Professor Dumbledore never told me which decorations he liked better, so as Headmistress, I resolved to ask you. Is that alright?" He, like Madame Pomphrey seemed unsure of how to act in her presence. Hermione sighed softly at being the Headmistress, but nodded.  
  
"Yeah, show me what you've got," Hermione was excited now, wondering what he had in store for her.  
  
"Okay, but first," Flitwick pulled out his wand and muttered an incantation while walking in a circle around them. The air shimmered around them. Flitwick said another incantation and a string of bubbles appeared. He muttered another word and a rope of intertwined stars and moons and suns appeared. He said something else and a line of icicles appeared before them.  
  
"Hmmm, the icicle one looks more winter-y than the others," Hermione said thoughtfully.  
  
"Okay then, thank you for your help!" Flitwick muttered something else and the shimmering circle and decorations disappeared. Flitwick hop-skipped off to the castle.  
  
Hermione smiled to herself and walked back to her class, where confused looks greeted her. She smiled and just told everyone that it was about her grade. Everyone just smiled at her because this sounded like something she would talk to a teacher about.  
  
"What was that wall that appeared between you and the class?" Draco asked. At her confused look he added, "You disappeared from our view for a minute."  
  
"So that's what that was. Oh, I'll tell you later, when there aren't so many people around to listen," Hermione answered. Once again she thought that her life was out of control. She was getting stressed out from being Headmistress, and this was her first day on the job! 


	36. Flying

Chapter 36-Flying  
  
A/N Thank you Firehottie for my 140th review.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione slid into bed, feeling very tired. The whole day was filled with similar situations as the one that Professor Flitwick had presented her with. Hagrid asked what type of pine trees to get for Christmas, Professor Sprout asked for something that Hermione didn't even know existed, even with her extensive reading. For that Hermione had spent time after classes reading up on. Then she had to ask McGonagall about getting it. She was exhausted and stressed out after just her first day as Headmistress.  
  
Draco slipped beneath the blankets beside her. Hermione was thankful that at least he was still there, the one unchanging object in her mixed-up world. She turned off the lights with a point of her finger, and then, realizing what she had just done, switched it back on the same way. "That's...interesting," Her voice shook slightly. "I'm not using my wand," She murmured to herself, staring at her hand. Draco looked up at her as she flicked the light on and off experimentally.  
  
"Very nice, now, can we sleep?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Hermione answered distantly. She turned the light off one last time and snuggled up to Draco. His body was warm, his heartbeat regular and his arms comforting. Hermione fell into a troubled sleep quickly.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Hermione kicked again. Draco shifted for the third time that night so that she would not hurt him. He had a bruised leg from her first round of kicks. The only problem with him just moving himself was that he had always slept with his arms around her and he would shift in his sleep so that he was holding her. He gently talked to her and she settled down. 'Time to do something about this,' he thought. He wouldn't be able to do anything for her if he was asleep on his feet. He walked out onto her balcony and lay on her hammock. Draco watched the stars, thinking that Hermione was so like them in her perfection and beauty (cheesy, I know). He conjured a blanket for himself because he was cold, but couldn't sleep.  
  
The problem was that Hermione was not next to him. Draco ran his fingers through his hair in desperation. He didn't know what to do, anything he did wrong may get him on her bad side and she DID have the power to expel him and he could feel her stress even from outside. Who knew what she would do when she was under so much pressure. Little Dragon joined him and they sat silently under the stars.  
  
About an hour later Draco heard Hermione thrashing in her bed again. He heaved a sigh and left her balcony. He would endure the pain she was inflicting on him, even if it was just to get a little sleep, comfort her a little in his arms, and be there to steady her apparent unease. So he clambered under the covers and drifted off to sleep.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione woke up. She remembered a little of her dream, but very little. She knew that Harry and Ron had been dueling each other, and that Voldemort was in it, but she couldn't remember any more of the dream. She knew it was important though. She sighed and rolled over to look at Draco. He looked very tired and his blonde hair was tousled, but he was sleeping peacefully. Hermione crawled out of bed, catching sight of the time on her way. It was six thirteen in the morning.  
  
Hermione walked out onto her balcony and stood on the rail. She closed her eyes and felt the wind ruffle her shorts and cool her sweaty face. She put her arms out and pretended that she was the golden eagle that symbolized Ravenclaw. She imagined that she was an eagle that was not the peacekeeper of Earth; an eagle that was not the Headmistress of a school; an eagle that was not the top student in her own school; an eagle that did not know stress. Hermione wished hard, her eyes shut tight against everything that was going on in the world, and her life, especially closed against the stress that had been placed on her sixteen year old shoulders.  
  
Hermione opened her eyes and looked down at the Hogwarts grounds. She was surprised to see a mouse rustling in the grass-or was it a mouse? She looked at her outstretched arms to see that they were now wings, in about a seven-foot span, nearly as long as her fairy wings. She took off, a bit unsteadily at first, but quickly getting the hang of flying. She felt the wind rustle her feathers as she dove and dipped in the dawn-light of the morning and all her troubles and stress disappeared for a time.  
  
Eventually she went back into her room. Draco was gone from her bed and her door was wide open. "Hermione, Hermione, where are you? Hermione?" His voice was sounding frantic and Hermione flew to him, not realizing that she was still in eagle-form. He rushed halfway across the common room then saw her. He stopped so suddenly that he tripped slightly. Hermione looked around her, and then realized that she was still an eagle. She closed her eyes and willed herself into human shape again.  
  
Hermione opened her eyes again and saw Draco staring at her. "Where were you? I was so worried about you I-" Draco stopped blabbering and ran to her, giving her a tight embrace. He seemed reluctant to let her go, but Hermione didn't mind.  
  
"I was flying, but I wasn't out there too long, I wasn't expecting you to wake before seven..." Hermione said as he rained kisses on her face.  
  
"Before seven! Hermione, have you any clue what time it is?! It's eight fifteen!" Hermione stood there in his arms, had she seriously been out there for two hours? But then she snapped back into the present.  
  
"Draco, we have fifteen minutes to get to class! I'm never going to be ready in time!" She screeched, already on the way to her room. Her door slammed shut, but Draco could still hear her shouting to herself, "As if it helps that we have potions first today..." 


	37. Confrontation

Chapter 37-Confrontation  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione awoke with a start. For a minute she wondered what had happened to wake her up and then she sensed something ELSE in her room. Draco lay asleep beside her, arms protectively around her waist and head tucked between her head and neck. She smiled at him and felt Little Dragon's presence on her balcony. But there was one OTHER being in the room. It smelt of pure evil and Hermione couldn't picture it in her mind, like she could with most other, regular, people. She placed extra shields around to block her mind-speech, ~Little Dragon, there-~ She started. ~I know, hush now. I am calling the other heirs. Wake Draco,~ The husky voice sent waves of urgency to Hermione and she quickly complied.  
  
Hermione shook Draco's shoulder gently. She sensed the THING getting closer by the minute and was shocked that Draco had not woken up yet. She shook harder, and spoke into his mind, trying to wake him. Her attempts were futile, and now IT was by her bed. She realized then that no one would come to her rescue.  
  
Hermione waved her hand and the lights turned on. She was momentarily blinded by the light and used this to her advantage to call her wand to her while still unable to see. The THING was blinded as well, or at least, startled, it had stopped moving when the light was turned on. Hermione looked at the figure of a man by her bedside. She grasped her wand tighter and set a grim face when she realized who it was.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
His dream ended abruptly when he felt something bad in his room. He tried to wake up, and heard a voice that sounded more like a hiss than anything else. He felt Hermione wake up. She was silent and unmoving for a while, and then she shook his shoulder. He tried to wake up, but to no avail. She shook harder and he heard her voice in his mind. He couldn't answer. He was trapped by the evil and unable to save himself, or his love.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
"Voldemort," She hissed at the man with the snake like features that was standing by her bed.  
  
"Ah, my dear Headmistress. I was wondering where you had gone to, you weren't in the old fool's bedchambers, so I searched for yours. The stupid git always loved unicorns, and there was only one portrait of a unicorn in the school. It was much too easy for me to find you. Too bad you had to be the Peacekeeper as well. Two words and I get not just Hogwarts, but the whole Earth too," His voice was silky and smooth, but it was harsh also and dripped with cruelty.  
  
Hermione was thinking fast. She had to wake up Draco, the whole castle actually, and use their help to get rid of Lord Voldemort. As he talked she reached inside herself and found the right spell. The spell was one that would immobilize him long enough to wake every student and teacher in Hogwarts. He paused to take in a breath and she yelled the spell at him, catching him off guard. She ran out of her room and through the halls of the school. At the exact center of the school Hermione stopped. She cried out a note and all of the students and teachers woke up. She switched notes and sang once again, telling everyone to go into the Entrance Hall. It took a while to wake up Harry, Ron and Draco as they were under some type of spell.  
  
Hermione felt Little Dragon come to her side and give her some information. ~All of his Deatheaters are out in the front of the school. He has gone down to join them, you should wait for the other heirs, and then we can go down for the final confrontation.~  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Hermione had left the bed, and still he was trapped in sleep. Then he felt someone knocking on his cage from the outside. It was Hermione, and somehow she managed to deactivate it. He woke up at last and went to meet Hermione.  
  
On the way to the middle of the school he met up with Harry and Ron. They both looked as grim as he supposed that he did. All three knew that this would be the final confrontation and if they lost then the whole Earth would be in chaos.  
  
On the other hand, if they won, they could live out their lives in peace, without any Lord Voldemort to worry about anymore. That would be the best thing that could happen, but it was unsure of how much chance they had of that, Voldemort was powerful and he had many, many Deatheaters at his back. Even with the whole of Hogwarts behind Hermione they were greatly outnumbered by the Dark Lord's Deatheaters.  
  
They nodded to each other silently in recognition, but with a small good- bye in each of their nods, and solemnly walked the rest of the way to the shaking Hermione.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
This was the last war, she knew it, win or lose, this was the final battle against evil. She saw Harry, Draco and Ron meet up and they nodded to each other, their nods filled with farewells and...something else. Hermione shook her head to clear it and realized that she was shaking. She slid her hand into Draco's and he pulled her close for a minute. He loosened his grasp on her and she looked into his eyes, nodding the same nod that Harry and Ron had given him. She turned back to Ron and Harry, nodding to them too and the four friends walked down many staircases.  
  
At the bottom of the Grand staircase there was a cluster of people young and old. Not all of them were students and teachers too. Sirius was there, as well as Lupin, Mad Eye Moody, many aurors, Narcissa Malfoy, the Weasley family, and Hermione's mother. All looked up at the five that came last.  
  
"Lord Voldemort has come at last to our school. He and all of his army are outside, waiting for us," Hermione gulped, but was finished. Many people were staring at her, but no one spoke for a while.  
  
"What do we do Headmistress?" Professor Flitwick asked timidly. The hall broke out in whispers.  
  
"We do our best to stop them. We are outnumbered greatly, but I believe that if we keep faith we can make it. Any one who wants to help fight, come with me," Hermione said, although she really wasn't sure if they could win at all. She walked through the Entrance Hall, the crowd parting ahead of her, and opened the double doors. Voldemort stood at the head of his army, Hermione at hers and they faced each other. 


	38. War

Chapter 38-War  
  
A/N There will be forty chapters in this story total. Also, a big thanks to my anonymous reviewer spiked_unicorn for my 150th review. My god, this chapter was 5 pages long.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione stared at the vast array of...peoples in Voldemort's army. Deatheaters, Dementors, trolls, Slytherin students, even a few giants were in his ranks. On Hermione's side, there were not nearly as many people, but they all were volunteering to do this. Hermione shot the first spell at the Deatheater closest and the war began. Spells were shot from both sides all at once. Hermione was shot with a tickling spell and Harry reversed it. Many people were being stunned and killed on both sides.  
  
Hermione noticed that Harry was trying to stay away from Voldemort because of his scar. Hermione went to the back of the crowd and sang out a note, it was more of a shield for her side than anything else. Draco and Little Dragon were beside her and the other heirs soon joined them. Harry made it so that it was raining on the enemy and lightning was striking down the dementors, trolls, and giants, but Hermione could tell that it took an uncountable amount of energy to do this and so he was doing it slowly. Hermione was having just as hard a time with her shield and she was losing energy very quickly. Draco had sauntered off into the dark forest and was now back. Centaurs and Aragon's family along with magical animals were helping as well. Ron was pausing time occasionally so that they could help people that were in danger. Hermione felt Sirius, several students, a teacher, and her mother go down from inside her thin shield, which was getting thinner by the second.  
  
Hermione called on the last of her reserves of power (without using the extra power given to her by being La Principessa Delle Stelle) and summoned the Sword of Knowledge as well as the Swords of Love, Life, and Light. She took the four Swords in her arms and gave them to Harry, Ron, and Draco. She looked at them sadly and said, "I'm sorry," and then willed herself into eagle-form with her Sword clutched in her talons.  
  
She flew to the head of her army and transformed before giving her apologies to them as well. Then she felt time stop. When she could feel it going again, Ron, Harry and Draco were beside her. She smiled bleakly at them and turned around to what was left of Voldemort's army, which was still a considerable amount of people, at least one person (or dementor, troll, or giant) to each person of hers. But her side had some very inexperienced wizards, giving her a slight disadvantage. Hermione turned around and took down what was left of her shield that had been holding her students and staff safe. The Deatheaters and Slytherins were shooting spells at them immediately. The witches and wizards that could produce a patronus were holding the dementors back. The trolls were walking around bashing people on the head until someone managed to knock them out. The giants did the same as the trolls, except that they were quite a bit harder to get rid of. The Deatheaters just shot and dodged spells. Hermione and the other heirs were fighting with swords and magic.  
  
In a crack of thunder the Ministry was there. They turned the tides and now Voldemort was losing, badly. Hermione could no longer see Lord Voldemort; it was as if he had disappeared into thin air, which would have been probable if you could apparate on Hogwarts grounds. She turned into bird form and rose above the battle. Harry was with the Patronus group and Draco was just on his own, as was Ron. Hermione saw Voldemort sneaking to the Forbidden forest. Quickly she swooped down and informed Ron, who was furthest from the Forbidden Forest of this, turning to Draco next, then Harry, who was closest the Forest.  
  
They met up at the edge of the Forest in time to see the hem of the Dark Lord's cloak swirl around the trunk of a tree. Hermione went after it and Little Dragon, Harry, Ron and Draco followed her lead.  
  
Harry's POV  
  
Little Dragon, Draco, Ron and I followed Hermione into the Forbidden Forest. Soon Little Dragon overtook Hermione and began to sniff out Voldemort's trail. Finally they got to the point where they could see his cloak hem, and then his back. They came to the clearing in which Harry remembered from serving detention with Draco in so long ago, in which Harry had first seen his enemy (first year detention with Hagrid). Voldemort turned around and faced them. All of them shuddered at what they knew was under the cloak, but stood their ground, even Harry, whose scar was paining him so terribly that it hurt to stand. He leant on Ron, but the pain was still there and getting worse.  
  
"Ah, yes, how nice of you to join me," Came the voice.  
  
"We aren't afraid of you, and we came to finish you off, once and for all," Hermione retorted.  
  
Draco's POV  
  
Draco walked behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "We aren't afraid of you, and we came to finish you off, once and for all," Hermione retorted. But Hermione was trembling with fear, Draco could tell, because, between his own quivers, he could feel Hermione shaking as well. Yet they still held their ground.  
  
"Come now, little Peacekeeper, what say you and I have a little duel, no magic, just our Swords? Let's make it a little more interesting though, how about the duel, yes, of course the duel, but a duel...to the death." Draco froze as though he had been hit with Petrificus Totalus.  
  
Ron's POV  
  
Voldemort's proposition was insane, but what was more, was that Hermione nodded, saying, "Sounds fair enough."  
  
So, it was a duel to the death. Hermione's lover, her cousin, and her friend were too stunned to object. Lord Voldemort had one more thing to say though, to all of them, at least.  
  
"One more thing though, do we really need an audience? No, I don't suppose we do. Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!" Ron saw a flash of green light coming at him and before he could say anything it hit him.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Lord Voldemort had just killed the three people dearest to her. They were almost alone in the clearing. He raised his wand one last time and yelled "Avada Kedavra!" Little Dragon dropped dead beside Hermione. Now Hermione was shaking with rage. She hefted the Sword of Knowledge and on an impulse, touched the point to the black stone in the white star on her forehead. The blade glowed white with a calming air about it and Hermione felt trust toward the blade in her hand and let it do the work.  
  
While this was happening Lord Voldemort had drawn his blade as well, and it was elfin made as hers was. His glowed black, and had an air of chaos around it that she could feel from where she stood. She shuddered as they began to duel. Somehow, her Sword seemed to know what it was doing and Hermione was tired, so she let the Sword take over and do what it had to do. This must have had something to do with putting it to her forehead; it had not felt like this before.  
  
He swung slowly, and Hermione parried easily. He was surprised and he swung faster. Hermione parried again. He lunged at her, trusting his blade where her heart would be. She retreated and he pulled back, she feinted left and went right, slicing his shoulder. Now he was really mad because she had gotten him and he still hadn't touched her.  
  
Hermione lunged and he backed off, only to make her advance on him. Now they were both caught in an intricate dance in which one wrong move could bring your death. They advanced and retreated, lunging, thrusting, parrying and dodging. Hermione tripped over a root and fought off Voldemort from the ground, it was impossible to get up. She swung her leg and he fell, not expecting that. Hermione leapt to her feet and so did he.  
  
They began their dance once more, but Hermione had the edge, she was swinging quickly and without pause between swings. Voldemort was blocking her, but just barely, so she went faster, advancing quicker, a nick here, a small stab there. He had gotten her a few times as well, but his count was nothing compared to hers. He tripped and she placed her blade at his throat, standing beside his head so that he could not have tripped her if he had tried.  
  
"Good bye, Voldemort," she said, before thrusting her blade into his neck (I know, kinda gruesome). Hermione dropped to her knees and her blade stopped glowing. After a moment or two she stood up and levitated Voldemort's body, then she levitated the bodies of her friends as well. Hermione walked back to the war in a direct way that took only a few minutes, much less than on her first trip to the clearing.  
  
She headed towards the middle of the still-raging war. On her way she saw Snape fighting four Deatheaters, keeping them from Professor McGonagall's mangled body (awww), as well as Madame Pomphrey rushing about curing what she could, and students fighting with others. Hermione reached the middle of the battlefield and made her voice louder with her wand.  
  
"Voldemort is dead," she announced. All the fighting stopped at once. Many from Voldemort's side dropped their weapons without protest, others were a little harder to persuade.  
  
Hermione looked in dismay at the many dead bodies, stunned people, injured people, from both sides, and grimaced. Then she knew what she had to do. She started to glow red as she had done two times before. She rose up in the air, and all eyes were on her. She writhed as she pulled out her wings, then beat them to stay up there, she had only enough energy to do her task, not even enough to keep her in the air without aid. She sang a note, and every one of her students, staff, helpers, and friends were enveloped in a bubble that pulsed with violet and red electricity.  
  
Hermione changed notes and everyone that was covered in a bubble was either fully healed or alive, or both. Hermione dropped to the ground to be caught by Draco. He held her and her light was diminishing quickly. "I'm sorry, but I had to, I'll see you in death," she whispered hoarsely. And then her light was gone, and so was her life. Draco sat there with her in his arms, not wanting to believe that she was dead, but she was, she was dead. Only when the realization sank in did he cry, and he didn't just cry, he sobbed.  
  
A/N  
  
I am really sorry that I had to do that, but please don't get mad at me, and please don't flame.  
  
Hermione Girl3: When did I say they were late for potions, I said that they had fifteen minutes until potions, they weren't late.  
  
Sarah: Well, Hermione needs all the help she can get, why not let the young peoples fight too? 


	39. Surprises & Sacrifice

Chapter 39-Surprises & Sacrifice  
  
A/N This is NOT the last chapter. And, I was going to do this long before all of you reviewed 38, so, sorry if it displeases you.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. But, I suppose that I could go to JK Rowling's house and steal all of her writings, sign them off as my own. Or I could change my name to Joanne K. Rowling. Hmmm, *author starts to laugh maniacally, then realizes that she is just stalling.* Sorry about that.  
  
No One's POV, or Everyone's POV  
  
~Come now, Draco, you have to eat,~ Little Dragon snapped. Everyone was very snappy after Hermione's death. Draco refused to believe that Hermione would not come back and so stayed by (or on) her bed in the Hospital Wing day and night. He didn't eat much and, to put it simply, was a wreck. Little Dragon finally gave up and sauntered off into the rain outside, to look at the stars (A/N Harry can control the weather, and he is sad, so it is constantly raining.). No one heard the question that was voiced to the stars up in the cloudy night sky.  
  
Draco looked at the pale, cold body of Hermione. She was angelic, and looked as if in sleep, but Draco knew better. There was no rise and fall of breath in her chest, and she didn't wake up to anything. Tears fell from Draco's frozen steel eyes, winding their way down his cheeks on familiar paths that had been made a week ago. He brushed a hair away from her face that had been moved by the slight draft when the door had been opened.  
  
Harry placed his hand on Draco's shoulder and Draco just knew who it was. Harry, Ms Granger, and Ron visited at least three times a day, and Ron was at McGonagall's office getting something, Draco didn't know what. Students came as well, not so often though, and all of the Slytherins had a grudging respect for her, because she had restored their lives at the price of her own, even if they were on the other side. He heard Harry's ragged breathing and he knew that he was crying too. They cried in silence and after a while Harry left Draco so that each could wallow in their misery alone.  
  
Little Dragon just sat there, looking up at the few stars visible through the rain, waiting for an answer to her query. An hour and thirteen minutes later her answer came. The small dog thanked the stars and left.  
  
Harry and Ron entered the Hospital Wing again. Draco was there, which wasn't surprising, and so was Ms Granger. A wet Little Dragon was lying on the bed. ~Finally, took you guys all long enough. There is something that I wanted to show you, but well, I don't know how this will happen, or even if it will work. The STARS were unsure about it, which is not a good sign, but, still...~ Little Dragon trailed off into her thoughts, but Draco quickly pulled her out of them. (A/N Hermione's mother was Ravenclaw's heir until Hermione was born, so now she is again because Hermione is dead, which means she can hear Little Dragon.)  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT?!" Draco yelled at her. His temper was short since Hermione's death. Little Dragon sighed, and then said, ~Well, there is a way we MIGHT be able to bring Hermione back, I have been consulting the stars about this for a long while, and it is risky. We will need all of us to die and go into death and bring her back, but you see, we need a human sacrifice to open the gates of Death for us. It can't be just anyone either, it has to be the...well; it must be the current heir of Ravenclaw.~  
  
There was silence in the room. ~The stars are unsure of if this will work because, to go into death willingly, may cause you to never come back, and also, Hermione will not be able to bring her mother back. Although, if you do manage to get Hermione out of death, then there is no guarantee that you three will come back also. I most definitely will come back because of my...er...connections. It all depends on if you want to do it, if you love her enough to risk the possibility of all of us dying and never bringing Hermione back.~  
  
"I'll do it," Draco was first to accept.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said.  
  
"Life without Hermione isn't fun," Ron said.  
  
"Anything for my only baby," Ms Granger said.  
  
~Okay then, that is settled. Ms Granger, go to Professor Snape and ask for poison. We will have to wait to go into death for eleven and three quarters hours before we have to go into death after you, because the gates of death allow dead people in only after they have been in limbo for twelve hours. So, I suggest you all get some sleep, except for you, you go get the poison, and I'll call you in eleven and a half hours.~  
  
Draco curled up on the bed next to Hermione and drifted off into a light uneasy sleep. His mind was filled with thoughts like 'What if it doesn't work, what if everything goes wrong, what if?'  
  
~Draco, wake up, it's time to go~ Little Dragon's husky voice came through his mind. Draco nodded and slowly opened his eyes. He kissed Hermione's forehead and prepared to die (*author snickers*, anyone seen The Princess Bride, "My name is Enigo Montoya (sp?), you killed my father, prepare to die..." anyway). Harry and Ron were standing nearby with wry smiles on their faces.  
  
"It's weird isn't it, Hermione gives her life to save us, then we give our lives to save her and she has to bring us back to life after," Harry said with a crooked grin that looked more like a frown. Little Dragon instructed them on what to do and they entered death. They met in limbo and found Ms Granger by the gates of death. When they opened for her they slipped in too.  
  
Little Dragon put her nose to the ground and picked up Hermione's scent. She followed it to the library (duh!). They entered and found her at table in the back. Draco ran to her, Ron, Harry and her mother following. "Hermione!" She looked up at her name, and then jumped up to greet them. They ran and Draco and she met halfway. Draco picked her up by her waist and swung her around, finally setting her on her feet and smothering her with kisses.  
  
"Oh, Draco, I never thought I'd see you again, well, not until you died...hey, wait a minute, you are dead! Draco, all of you, I gave my life so that all of you could live and now you are DEAD!" She screeched, fuming.  
  
Harry snorted, "We came to bring you back."  
  
"But that would mean that one of...which of you is staying?" Hermione demanded. Apparently she knew that someone actually had to stay dead if they were to bring her back. Her mother shakily raised her hand. Hermione turned to her and looked ready to kill (heehee, sorry about all of the lame death jokes). "Why, I am content, I would love to live and everything, but I didn't want anyone to die for me, but I suppose that what is done is done." She sighed, then squirmed out of Draco's arms and embraced her mother. "I'm gonna miss you mom," she said, tears pouring down her face.  
  
"Yes, I'll miss you too, but I'll see you when you die OF OLD AGE, if you die any other way I'm sending you back to life," Her mother threatened. Hermione couldn't suppress a smile. "I suppose I could see you in your dreams, like Ginny did that one time," she said thoughtfully. She kissed her only daughter on the top of her head and pushed her to the gates, where she received one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. Hermione's mother gave her one last piece of advice before shoving her out of the gates, "Anyway, go, live, love, and never regret, I love you."  
  
"I love you too, bye," And Hermione exited death, walked across limbo and through the gates of life.  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione entered her body and felt really cold. She wrapped the blankets around herself tighter and crawled over to where her friends still lay on the floor, dead. Looked like she would have to work some magic. She put her hands on Harry and Ron's chests, then sang the notes that she had grown so used to and they re-entered life. Then she moved and did the same for Draco. She knew she shouldn't be using so much magic so soon, but her own healing powers were already working on her and she had most of her magic back, but bringing people to life took a lot out of someone and she collapsed onto Draco's chest after.  
  
~~~~~~~Seventh Year, December 20, At The Winter Ball, Hermione's POV~~~~~~~  
  
A slow dance came on and Hermione rested her head on Draco's chest. Draco's arms held her protectively about the waist and she melted into the song. The song ended too quickly for either of their likings. Draco was acting distant tonight and Hermione wondered why. They were now standing on the middle of the dance floor and they waited for the next song to come on, but it didn't.  
  
Professor McGonagall stood up from the staff table and asked for everyone's attention. "Everyone, could you please give all of your attention to Mr. Malfoy, he has an announcement to make," Hermione saw her catch Draco's eye. McGonagall smiled and Draco gulped nervously.  
  
Draco turned to her and she searched his eyes for any sign of what he was about to announce, but she didn't find anything. He went down on one knee in front of her and her breath caught. He pulled from one of his pockets a small box covered in black velvet, which he opened, revealing a ring with a teardrop shaped diamond in the center, framed by two smaller gems, an emerald on the right and a ruby on the left. Storm colored eyes met hers and she didn't notice the tears running down her face. "Hermione, will you marry me?" All she could do was nod as he slipped the ring onto her finger, not noticing the cheers and whistles in the background.  
  
A/N Wahahahahahahaha, it's so SWEET *Starts sobbing hysterically* but I wanted to marry him. Harumph. THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER, I WILL INCLUDE THEIR WEDDING. 


	40. Wedding

Chapter 40-Wedding  
  
A/N This is the last chapter (wow, I misspelled that about ten times) in this story. I am sorry, but there will be no sequel, as there will be nothing more to write about, although, I may be able to add answers to any questions I leave unanswered in a SHORT epilogue. And Thank you L**ta for helping me with this chapter as well as the last.  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot.  
  
Hermione looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing her wedding dress and people were fussing about her left and right. Lavender and Parvati were her Brides Maids and they were rushing about her, adjusting her make up as well as theirs. They had on identical dresses that were lavender, with midnight blue flowers embroidered on the hem. The dresses were simple, with a V-neckline and spaghetti straps. Susan was standing off to the side a little, in a dress that was a periwinkle, with midnight blue trimming on it's square cut neckline and V-waistline. Little Dragon, who was Hermione's Maid Of Honor, was in a light purple dress that was specially made for her dog's body. Her dress had midnight blue flowers embroidered all over it.  
  
The Flower Girl, Alice Thomas (Dean Thomas's eleven year old sister that I made up) was in a little purple dress that had midnight blue flowers on it, and princess seams.  
  
Hermione's dress was of midnight blue (Are you getting the feeling that I am obsessed with that color?), almost black, with lavender trimming. It was strapless, had princess seams, and a V-waistline that was represented by a lavender ribbon that tied in a small bow at the back. The bottom half of the dress flared out slightly and it had no train, trains bugged Hermione. Hermione's hair was of a style all her own (A/N Actually, I came up with it when experimenting with my hair), the back of her head was in long ringlets, and the hair that was on the sides was pulled up in a jaw clip in the back (If you think this doesn't look good, then take my word, it does). Around her exposed neck was a small heart shaped locked that was silver, and inside, had a picture of Draco on one side, and a picture of her parents on the other.  
  
The music began and Alice walked down the aisle, showering it with white rose petals, and then sitting down. Then Harry and Lavender walked down the aisle, splitting up at the end so that Lavender was behind where Hermione would stand and Harry was beside Draco. Parvati and Ron walked down the aisle next and did the same. Dean and Susan walked down the aisle next, followed by Draco's Best Man, Terry Boot walked down the aisle with Little Dragon next to him (A/N Terry is Draco's best man because Draco couldn't pick between Harry and Ron). Mr. Weasley finally walked Hermione down the aisle, leaving her up at the front and sitting down beside a tearful Mrs. Weasley.  
  
Hermione looked up into the metallic crystal eyes of Draco and mouthed 'I love you' to him. He smirked and they turned their attention to the Minister of Magic, who was performing the ceremony, as was custom.  
  
Cornelius Fudge smiled at the young couple and prepared to begin the short ceremony that he always did. "Mister Draco Malfoy wishes to be joined in marriage to Miss Hermione Granger. Does anyone object?" No one did and it always bothered him that he had to say that, because no one ever did, but he always said it anyway. (A/N I am making up the words to this myself, and this is not like a muggle marriage, so I can. Anyway, on with the wedding. Tear.)  
  
"Mister Malfoy, do you promise to take Miss Granger as your wife and to love her with every part of your being for all eternity?"  
  
"I do," Draco said, mouthing to Hermione 'For much longer.' (Author bursts into tears.)  
  
Hermione smiled at him and Fudge continued with the ceremony. "Miss Granger, do you promise to take Mister Malfoy as your husband and to love him with every part of your being for all eternity?"  
  
"I do," she answered solemnly, her face breaking into a smile right afterwards with the force of her happiness.  
  
"Okay then, now each of you drink from this cup and then place the rings on the other's finger to bind you forevermore." He handed them a golden goblet that was filled with a bubbling blue liquid and their rings hovered before them. Draco took the goblet first and downed half of it in one gulp, and then handed it to Hermione, who finished it off. Draco grabbed the ring in front of him and placed it on Hermione's ring finger. Hermione did the same to him. "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." (A/N may as well have some of the real phrases in there.)  
  
Draco gave her a small kiss, amid whistles and cheers from the crowd, as well as 'Awww's.  
  
~~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~  
  
Hermione turned around, the bouquet in hand. She sighed and wished who caught it as much luck in their love life as she had. She tossed it over her shoulder and turned around to see a startled Professor McGonagall catch it. McGonagall smiled at Hermione and turned slightly, catching Professor Snape's eye. He raised an eyebrow suggestively, and then smiled at her disarmingly and shrugged.  
  
A VERY Short Epilogue  
  
Hermione and Draco had three kids, two girls and a boy. The oldest, a girl, had straight brown hair and her father's steely gray eyes, was named Callisto. A two years later the middle child and only boy was born, and he had pale blond hair and brown eyes, was named Artemis. The last and youngest child was born another three years later, and was named Clementine and she had curly brown hair and calculating hazel eyes. The three children all ended up attending their mother's school, Hogwarts (Callisto and Artemis in Slytherin and Clementine in Gryffindor), and later the oldest two worked for their father, the Minster of Magic at the ministry.  
  
Callisto, being very independent, never married, but lived very happily. Artemis, being kind and generous (yet short tempered), fell in love young as his parents did and married soon after school was out to a redheaded Weasley. The last child, Clementine, who both very social and very interested in the workings of the world and read a lot, worked at Hogwarts and married the child of Professor Snape and the former Professor McGonagall, now Professor Snape, making three Professor Snape's at Hogwarts. All lived happily ever after. 


End file.
